Leslie Perks and the Venom of Trog
by all4jesus84
Summary: It is Leslie's 2nd year at Hogwarts and the wizarding world becomes unsafe when a mysterious venom is slipped into people's drinks, killing them. Is Hogwarts safe? Sequel to Leslie Perks and the Dungeon of Dreknon
1. Leslie's Teeth

"Alright Leslie, tip your head back just slightly. That's a girl." Mrs. Granger said as Leslie Perks was leaning back in the hard dentist's chair the Grangers kept in their home. The Grangers were both dentists and worked out of their own home and on that hot afternoon at the end of August, Mrs. Granger was checking Leslie's teeth.

"Good girl, you haven't got any cavities." Mrs. Granger stated with a wide smile of pearly white teeth. Leslie peered out of the corner of her eye, and saw her best friend Hermione Granger walking into the room.

"Mum, I'm sure Leslie's teeth are fine." Hermione said as she rolled her eyes with a grin. Mrs. Granger turned to look at her daughter.

"You can never be too sure, my dear. Besides, what would happen if you got a cavity while you were at Hogwarts?" She asked as she continued to gaze into Leslie's open mouth.

"They have wizard dentists in Hogsmeade." Hermione replied. "I read about it in _The Fine Establishments of Hogsmeade."_ Leslie giggled, amazed at how much Hermione had read over their summer vacation. Leslie couldn't believe they were already going back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow.

Leslie Perks and Hermione Granger weren't ordinary children. They were young witches who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Instead of learning Algebra and Geography, they learned about Transfiguration and Charms. Instead of arts and crafts, they learned how to brew potions.

Leslie had spent her summer vacation with the Grangers. During her first year at Hogwarts, she received word that her parents had died in a car crash. She had been orphaned but her best friends had been there for her. Leslie felt so lucky to have Hermione as her roommate over the summer holidays. And though she loved spending time with the Grangers, she was very eager to return to her real home: Hogwarts.

"Well dear, I'm sorry but I just don't trust those wizard dentists. I prefer to do it the, er, Mubble way." Mrs. Granger said as she winked at Leslie.

"Er, actually, it's Muggle, Mrs. Granger." Leslie corrected as she hopped out of the chair. Muggles were non-magical folks, like Mr. and Mrs. Granger. That was another reason Leslie was eager to return to Hogwarts. What she missed most of all, was being able to perform magic. It was against the law for underaged witches or wizards to perform any kind of magic outside of school. Leslie couldn't wait to pull out her seven-inch Dragon tail wand and begin casting spells and charms. _Only one more day._ She thought with a content sigh.

* * *

"Did your mum have a look at your teeth then?" Leslie asked later that afternoon as she folded her fresh school robes Mrs. Granger kindly washed earlier that morning. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, and they're fine. Mum's still concerned about my overbite but I'm trying to convince her to let Madame Pomfrey shrink them with the_Refugio_ charm." She replied as she patted Leslie's orange cat, Jinxie on the head. Jinxie purred loudly and jumped into Hermione's lap.

"Your mum isn't too keen on magic, is she?" Leslie asked as she closed up her trunk for a break. Hermione shrugged.

"She's just a bit leery. I mean, she isn't a witch, so she doesn't find any of it normal. They aren't subjected to our world as often as we are. To us, it just seems natural. I guess we take it for granted." She replied as she looked over at her wall calendar. "Are you excited about tomorrow?"

"Yeah I can't wait. I'm so excited about finally seeing Harry and Ron. It feels like it's been forever." Leslie replied, referring to the her other best friends from Hogwarts. "It's so nice of your mum and dad to throw me a birthday party."

"Well, it was _my_ idea. I thought it would be great to have Harry and Ron come for your party and then we could all go to Diagon Alley afterward to buy our school supplies." Hermione said with a grin. Leslie smiled, and then puckered her brow.

"What?" Hermione questioned.

"I just find it odd that we haven't heard from Harry yet." Leslie replied. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, he didn't send a reply as to whether or not he was coming to your party or not." She pointed out.

"And, he hasn't sent a thank you letter for the birthday card we sent him in July either." Leslie added.

"I expect he's probably busy. He'll come to your party though. He would never miss his friend's birthday party." Hermione reasoned. Leslie knew her best friend was right. Still, Leslie thought it was a bit odd.

* * *

"Leslie!" Mr. Granger yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "Somebody's here to see you." Leslie turned to Hermione with raised eyebrows.

"Do you think it's Harry?" She asked eagerly, as the two girls ran toward the staircase, flying down the steps. It wasn't Harry waiting at the bottom of the stairs, but it was still a familiar face.

"Professor!" Leslie exclaimed as she ran up to Professor McGonagall with a large grin. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor house at Hogwarts, as well as deputy headmistress. Only months ago, Leslie discovered the truth about McGonagall; that she was her grandmother. Leslie hadn't seen her since the last day of term back in June.

"Hello my dear." Professor McGonagall greeted with a slight smile. Leslie knew that meant she was pleased to see her.

"What are you doing here, Professor?" Leslie asked with a smile. She still hadn't grown accustomed to calling her 'grandmother' and since only Leslie and her three friends knew the truth, Leslie had become used to making sure nobody else found out.

"I came by to wish you a happy birthday. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to your birthday party tomorrow." McGonagall said as she frowned. Leslie's smile dropped.

"Why not?" She asked with a disappointed tone. McGonagall sighed.

"Well, you know tomorrow is the day before you are expected at Hogwarts. I am expecting owl after owl of replies to the acceptance letters I sent out to first year students. It's going to be a busy day for me. I'm afraid I will be unable to attend your party. However, I am having your gift sent by owl tomorrow morning before your party begins." She explained. Leslie brightened up a little at this.

"You have a gift for me?" She asked. McGonagall nodded.

"I must be off. It is good to see you Leslie, my dear. Please continue to behave yourself for the Grangers. Be sure to thank them for throwing you a party and I will see you the day after tomorrow. Safe travels, and happy birthday." Professor McGonagall patted Leslie on the shoulder and without another word, disappeared into thin air. Leslie jumped back.

"What - where - what happened?" She asked with a fright. Hermione giggled.

"She Apparated." She said simply. Leslie puckered her brow.

"She what?" She asked.

"Apparated. We're too young for that yet, but once you get your license, you can disappear from one spot and reappear in another in only seconds. It's a great time saver." Hermione replied.

"So she just Apparated from here to Hogwarts?" Leslie asked, still amazed at what she had just seen. Hermione shook her head.

"No, that's impossible. Hogwarts is charmed so that nobody can Apparate into or out of Hogwarts or the grounds. Professor McGonagall must have Apparated into Hogsmeade, or outside of Hogwarts' gates." She explained. Leslie sighed and shook her head with a little giggle.

"I guess there is still quite a bit I've got to learn about the wizarding world." She said. Hermione smiled with a nod.

"Come on then." She said, as she headed up the stairs. "Let's finish our packing."


	2. A Disappointing Birthday

"Leslie, wake up, wake up!" Hermione was shaking her best friend awake the next morning as the bright sun shone through Hermione's bedroom window. Leslie stirred slightly as she opened her eyes and stared at Hermione curiously.

"What's the matter?" Leslie asked as she sat up. Hermione smiled.

"Happy birthday Leslie." She said simply, as she gestured toward the window. Leslie looked over and saw a barn owl standing on the windowsill, with a card in it's beak. Leslie hopped out of bed and ran to the windowsill, graciously taking the card from the owl's beak, patting it gently on the head as it flew away.

"Is it from Harry?" Hermione asked as she brushed through her bushy hair. Leslie shook her head.

"No, he would have sent Hedwig, and she's a snow owl." She replied, as she ripped open the card. As soon as she saw the familiar Hogwarts crest at the top of the letter, she knew it was from her grandmother.

_Dear Leslie,_

_Again, I send my apologies for being unable to attend your special day. Be sure and have a good time._

_Your birthday gift should arrive shortly. I sent both owls at the same time, but the one carrying your gift has a heavier load, so be patient._

_I'll see you tomorrow at Hogwarts. Happy 12th birthday my dear._

_Sincerely M. McGonagall_

Leslie read it to Hermione and the two of them dashed over to the window, leaning out to stare up at the sky in eager anticipation. They noticed the sky was dark with storm clouds, and they wondered if McGonagall's owl got lost.

"What do you think your gift is?" Hermione asked as she scanned the sky. Leslie shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't asked for anything." She replied honestly. A moment of silence followed as they gazed into the gloomy sky, waiting for any sign of movement.

"There! Look!" Hermione squealed as she pointed toward a dark gray cloud. Leslie squinted her eyes and saw, off in the far distance, a gray owl flapping its wings. Leslie couldn't make out what the owl was carrying, but by the looks of it, it was big.

As the owl was flying only feet away from the window, Leslie gasped as she could finally make out what the bird was clinging to.

"It can't be." She whispered as she and Hermione stepped back from the window to allow the owl room to fly in. As the gray owl entered the room, it dropped Leslie's gift on the floor with a thump. Leslie stared at the gift with wide eyes and an open mouth; she hardly noticed the owl had flown away.

"I can't believe it." Leslie whispered as she knelt down. There in front of her was what she had dreamed of having since she first found out she was a witch. It was a Nimbus 2000, one of the greatest broomsticks on the market.

"Leslie, look, there's a note attached." Hermione said as she handed the note to her best friend. Leslie took it, still shocked for words, and she read it out loud.

_Leslie, congratulations on beginning your second year at Hogwarts. It is acceptable for second year students to have their own broomsticks, and I have observed the expression of passion when you watch Quidditch. Do be careful. Broomsticks can be dangerous. Start slow._

_I await your arrival,_

_Sincerely M. McGonagall_

Leslie nearly screamed!

"I can't believe she got me a broomstick! I've wanted one ever since Harry let me ride his out on the Quidditch field last year!" She cried out excitedly.

"It's a really good one too. I read about broomsticks in _Broomstick's Bests._ This one has great speed and good control." Hermione replied as she ran her hand over the handle. Leslie sighed contently.

"I want to ride it." She said passionately.

"Girls, breakfast is ready. Ron should be here any moment. Hurry up." Mrs. Granger called from downstairs. Hermione stared at Leslie with a shrug.

"It's going to be a busy day Leslie." She said simply. "I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Leslie was disappointed, but didn't think too much about it. It was her birthday, and she couldn't wait to see Ron and, she hoped, Harry.

* * *

"Ron!" Leslie squealed when Ron arrived at the front door shortly after breakfast. She wrapped her arms around him and he awkwardly patted her on the back.

"Er - right." He smiled and handed Leslie a small package. "Happy birthday." Leslie smiled as she held the package.

"How did you get here?" She asked, anxious to hear about a new mode of transportation witches and wizards could use.

"Oh, dad drove me." Ron replied. Leslie puckered her brow.

"In a car?" She asked. The Weasleys were a family of pure blood wizards. Leslie couldn't imagine them travelling by car.

"Yeah. We flew it for most of the way and we took off the invisibility once we landed." Ron explained as Leslie's eyes widened.

"A flying car? You're joking right?" She asked as her curiosity was peaked. Ron looked at her as though she were talking jibberish.

"Don't tell me you've never ridden in a car before. Bloody hell, I mean there are cars in every driveway on this street. You must have been in one at least once." He said, somewhat shocked. Leslie rolled her eyes. As she was learning more about the wizarding world she was still new to, she found that Ron was also beginning to learn about the Muggle world she had been raised in. As Hermione giggled in the background, Leslie began to tell Ron about Muggle cars.

* * *

The living room had been decorated in the Gryffindor colours: red and gold. Leslie's party had started two hours ago, and now the balloons and streamers were coming down gradually. The table, which had been set up with all of Leslie's favourite sweets: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Acid Pops, and Fizzing Whizbees, was nearly empty. Leslie's gifts had been torn open, and her gifts lay sprawled out on the floor. Leslie, Ron and Hermione sat in the living room, eating junk food quietly, staring at the clock. The invitation she had sent to Harry said the party started at noon, and it was now 2:00p.m. Leslie sighed.

"Are you sure you haven't heard from him at all, Ron?" She asked as she spit out a Dirt flavoured jellybean.

"I haven't heard from him all summer. I sent him a birthday card and other letters, and he hasn't replied." Ron said. Leslie sighed again, and looked over at the half eaten birthday cake and the gifts she had received. Hermione had given her a book of new spells, Ron had given her a photograph of the group of them from the previous year, and the Grangers gave her a new purple jumper. Even as she thought about her brand new broomstick waiting for her upstairs, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"I can't believe he didn't come to your party." Hermione said as she shook her head.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like him at all." Ron added. Leslie shook her head.

"You're right, it's not like him. What if something's wrong?" She asked. Before anybody had a chance to answer, Mrs. Granger came into the living room, holding up a camera, snapping a quick photo of the gloomy children.

"Come on guys, we have to go to Diagon Alley now so we can be home in time for dinner." Mrs. Granger said as she placed the camera down.

"But what about Harry?" Hermione asked, on behalf of her, Ron and Leslie.

"Your dad is going to wait here in case Harry shows up late. But you never know; Harry might meet us at Diagon Alley. Maybe he's already waiting for you." Mrs. Granger said as she turned to leave. As Leslie and her friends went to grab their cloaks, she really hoped Mrs. Granger was right.


	3. Runaway Witch

"He's not here. We've been in nearly every shop and he's not here." Ron said as he, Hermione and Leslie walked along the busy streets of Diagon Alley later that afternoon. Leslie sighed as she peered into the windows of the passing shops, and she shook her head.

"The train leaves for Hogwarts tomorrow! Do you think Harry would come to Diagon Alley for his new school books without us?" Hermione asked.

"It doesn't seem like Harry. I mean, before we left for the summer, he was the one who wanted us all to keep in touch." Ron replied.

"And yet we've heard nothing from him." Leslie added. The three friends couldn't figure it out, but they were all worried. _What if he doesn't show up at King's Cross tomorrow? What if he misses the train to Hogwarts?_ Leslie couldn't bear the thought of going to Hogwarts without one of her best friends. She had been looking forward to the new term so much, but it wouldn't be the same unless they were all together.

"Come on. I told mum we'd meet her at Flourish and Botts at 4:00p.m." Hermione said as she led the way to the bookstore. Leslie pulled out the school letter she had received the previous week, with a detailed list of all the books she was required to have for her second year. She puckered her brow as she looked at the textbook required for Defence Against The Dark Arts.

"_The Darker Light Side of the Dark Arts." _Leslie read out loud as she raised her eyebrows.

"I beg your pardon?" Ron asked as he snorted a laugh.

"It's a book, Ron." Hermione said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Seems a bit confusing." Leslie said as she shook her head.

"Who do you think our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be?" Ron asked. They all shuddered as they remembered their professor from last year. A man who they all thought was harmless had turned out to be a follower of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. The four of them had almost gotten themselves killed, but they had luckily managed to escape death.

"I hope it's Dumbledore again! He was wicked when he took over Quirrel's spot." Ron said with a grin.

"Oh honestly Ron. Professor Dumbledore has enough responsibilities as headmaster. He'll have hired a new professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts." Hermione replied as the three of them entered the bookstore.

"Hi mum." Hermione greeted as she and Ron approached Mrs. Granger. Leslie stayed behind, as she stared at a shelf filled with newly released spell books. Leslie's passion was learning new spells; she was determined to know every spell there was to know before she left Hogwarts at 17. As she began leafing through _The Secret to the Tortilis Delphinus Charm, _she heard a familiar shrill voice calling out to her from behind. She shuddered.

"Well, well, if it isn't Perks." Leslie turned around and saw Draco Malfoy standing in front of her, arms crossed. Malfoy was a fellow student from Hogwarts, placed in Slytherin house. Leslie had hated him from day one.

"Get lost, Malfoy." She said through gritted teeth. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Or what? You don't have any guts to do anything to me, Perks." He said cockily.

"If I had my wand, Malfoy..." Leslie said as she took a step closer, but she was stopped by a black cane that flew between the two students sharply. Leslie looked up and saw a tall man who was holding the cane. He had the same whitish blonde hair Malfoy had, and Leslie could only guess that this was his father: Lucius Malfoy.

"Now, now children, no need to get angry." He said in an eerily calmed voice. He turned to Leslie with raised eyebrows, and stared at her.

"Pigtails? Oh, let me guess, you must be Ms. Perks. Malfoy's told me all about you." He smirked. "You're Muggle born, aren't you my dear? I'm terribly sorry." He said, with a nasty kind of laugh.

"Don't talk about my parents." Leslie said quietly as she clenched her fists tightly.

"So sorry, didn't mean to offend." Lucius turned to Draco. "Come Draco. There's no need to associate with Muggle-borns any longer." Lucius eyed her for a moment, before departing from the store. Leslie glared after him, and only heard Draco's voice in the back of her mind as he walked away.

"See you at school." Leslie wished for nothing more than to pull out her wand and pull him up by his ankles and hang him upside down until he begged for mercy,

but she left her wand at home.

* * *

That evening, Leslie lied in bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Mrs. Granger had insisted the girls go to bed early to get their sleep, because it would be a busy next day. Leslie ran over the events of the day in her mind. Harry hadn't come to her birthday party, which she had been looking forward to for a month. She knew it wasn't like him at all. Mr. Granger hadn't heard from Harry at all, from staying home during the day; nobody had. Leslie couldn't make sense of it at all. Mrs. Granger had said that perhaps Harry would meet them at King's Cross the next day, but Leslie knew better. _If he didn't come to my birthday party, and he didn't come to Diagon Alley, then something is wrong. _She sighed. _If I don't do something, he may miss the train and he may never come to Hogwarts._ Leslie peered over at Hermione, who was sound asleep. Leslie got out of bed quietly and quickly pulled on some jeans. She tiptoed over to Hermione's desk and scrawled a quick note, leaving it near the window.

_Hermione,_

_Please bring my trunk and Jinxie to King's Cross tomorrow morning, I'll meet you there before 11:00a.m. I won't miss the train, I promise. I have to find Harry and bring him to school. I know he must be in some kind of danger, and I can't just leave him. I'll see you tomorrow._

_LESLIE_

Leslie sighed quietly as she pulled her cloak tightly around her body. She grabbed her broomstick, and looked outside seeing that it was still raining and still very cloudy and windy. _I'm coming Harry._ She thought to herself as she opened the window, stepping up on the windowsill. She looked down and realized she had never flown a broomstick by herself before. Only once, and she was only hovering feet above the ground. Other than that, Harry had ridden with her.

Leslie took a deep breath and swallowed hard as she mounted her broom. As she bravely kicked off, and darted away from the window, she deeply hoped she was doing the right thing.


	4. At 14 Privet Drive

Leslie had the hang of it now. She had been flying her broomstick for hours now, and she could feel herself growing colder. The storm wasn't helping, either. It had started to rain and the wind was picking up. Even flying above the clouds wasn't keeping her dry.

Leslie was getting sleepy too. _So much for being well rested for Hogwarts._ She thought as she swallowed a yawn. She knew she was doing the right thing, though. Harry could be in trouble.

She peered behind her and saw flashes of lightning in the far distance. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least I didn't get caught in that." She said to herself as she steered her broom toward Surrey. She smiled at how easy it was to control her broomstick. _Thank you Professor._ She thought to herself as she kept on riding.

The storm seemed to be clearing up as she drew nearer to Privet Drive, the street where Harry lived with his nasty uncle, aunt and cousin Dudley. Harry's parents had died when he was a baby, and he was forced to live with the Dursleys.

_I bet it's their fault he didn't come to my party yesterday._ Leslie thought bitterly as she saw Privet Drive beneath her. She began to descend carefully, trying hard to land right in the driveway of number 14, but she ended up landing on the street corner instead.

"Oh Whizbees! Well, I guess I have to work on my landings." Leslie said to herself as she picked up her broom and ran to Harry's house, number 14. She looked at her watch quickly and widened her eyes. It was already 6:00a.m. _The train leaves in five hours, and I've been flying all night. I'll never get to the train station in time._ Leslie sighed, unsure of what she would do, but as she knocked on Harry's door, she hoped that her and Harry could come up with a solution together. They had managed to get themselves out of sticky situations before.

Leslie waited impatiently as she hoped the Dursleys didn't have nosy neighbours. She knew she must look out of place; a young girl wearing a cloak and holding a broomstick. She didn't care; she only wanted to get Harry and leave, but as the front door opened, and Leslie saw a large heavy man with a thick moustache staring down at her with cold eyes, she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

Leslie knew this man must be Harry's uncle, Vernon Dursley. He was still wearing his striped pajamas and he stared nervously from Leslie to her broomstick.

"You're one of _them, _aren't you? You aren't welcome here. I want you to leave." Vernon said in a low, gurgly voice as he glared down at Leslie. She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not leaving. I want to see Harry." She said as she stood her ground. Vernon's eyebrows raised slightly.

"Oh you do, do you? Well that's too bad. I don't want any of Harry's freaky little friends strutting around in my neighbourhood, so off with you." He raised his voice and Leslie could feel herself growing hot with anger.

"I am _not_ freaky." She said defiantly as she crossed her arms. "And I'm not leaving until I see Harry."

"You're out of luck, because Harry is never leaving this house again. I will not allow him to go back to that freaky little school of his and learn more magic so he can cause us more trouble. No, I'm keeping him where I can keep my eye on him." Vernon replied as he went to shut the door.

"You can't keep him here! He belongs at school with his friends." Leslie yelled out as she stepped forward. Vernon eyed her through narrow eyes.

"He may be just as freakish as the rest of you lot, but I will never let him go back to that school of magic tricks." He snapped. Leslie shook her head, and pulled out her wand, holding it up.

"I mean it. I want to see Harry right now." She threatened as she raised her wand higher. Vernon appeared to grow apprehensive as he took a step back, and seemed to almost shiver.

"You can't do any magic on me. I already know you lot aren't supposed to do magic outside of school." He said as he rubbed his hands together nervously. Leslie knew the rules as well, but she was desperate to get Harry off to school, and her as well.

"I would risk it. I know you aren't good to Harry, and he belongs at Hogwarts." She said simply as she noticed her own hand was trembling slightly. Before she could say another word, Vernon slammed the door in her face. Leslie grumbled as she put her wand back in her cloak. _He didn't believe me. Now what am I supposed to do?_ She sighed as she backed up and stared up at the house. She puckered her brow as she noticed something she had not seen when she first arrived. On the second floor window, there were steel bars that almost looked like prison bars. Leslie shook her head. _That must be where they're keeping Harry locked up._ She peered over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear as she mounted her broomstick once more. She kicked off gently, with just enough power to get up to Harry's window. She tapped gently on the glass, and couldn't see inside right away, but was delighted when Harry's face appeared in the window. Harry's grin assured her that it was out of his control the whole time for being unable to come to her birthday party. He opened his window and stared at Leslie through the steel bars.

"Leslie, what are you doing here?" Harry asked with a wide smile on his face.

"I knew something was wrong when you didn't come to my birthday party, and the train leaves for Hogwarts today. I came to rescue you." Leslie replied as she kept her voice down to a whisper so the Dursleys wouldn't hear.

"That's brilliant!" Harry exclaimed quietly. Leslie smiled.

"Do you have your trunk ready?" She asked. Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, it's been ready since the first week of summer holiday." He replied. Leslie had to giggle.

"Anxious to get back?" She asked. Harry nodded.

"Alright, well, stand back." Leslie said as Harry backed up. Leslie pulled out her wand. She hesitated, knowing that if she performed magic in the Muggle world, she could get into serious trouble. She knew she was doing a good deed though, by helping Harry out of a horrible situation. As she raised her wand up toward the window, she hoped that the good would outweigh the bad.

"_Bombarda_!" She cried as she and Harry watched the bars fly off the window with a loud noise.

"Hurry Harry, I think the Dursleys heard it!" Leslie screamed as she pulled her broomstick up closer to the window. As Harry pulled his trunk up toward the window, as well as his caged owl, Hedwig, both of them could hear angry footsteps running toward Harry's room. Harry jumped up onto the windowsill and climbed onto the broomstick, behind Leslie.

"Wait! How are we going to bring my stuff with us? It won't fit on the broomstick Leslie." Harry said as they heard the latches on Harry's door coming undone.

"Don't worry. I know a spell." Leslie pointed her wand toward Harry's trunk and Hedwig. "_Involito adsecula!" _Leslie cried out as the trunk and Hedwig levitated from Harry's room and followed Leslie's broomstick as she steered it away from the window, just as Vernon, Petunia and Dudley leaned out of Harry's window, screaming and shaking their fists at the airborne children, who were already nearly above the clouds, trunk and owl following close behind.

Once they were above the clouds, Leslie and Harry breathed sighs of relief as they let out a laugh. Leslie gasped as she realized what time it was.

"Harry! We have to be at the train station in less than five hours! We'll never make it." She said worriedly. Harry smiled.

"Don't worry, I can get us there. Do you mind if I take over?" He asked. Leslie grinned, mentally slapping herself. _Of course. Why didn't I think of that?_ She should have known that because Harry was the Gryffindor Seeker on the school's Quidditch team, he would know all about how to fly broomsticks really fast. He was, after all, the youngest seeker in over a century. If anyone could get them to King's Cross fast, he could.

Harry and Leslie traded places as best they could, considering they were over one hundred feet in the air. Once Harry was in front, Leslie felt the broom pick up speed instantaneously. She gripped onto his sweater to hold on, and she smiled.

"You're going to have to teach me how to fly fast like that." She said. Harry laughed.

"I guess I will. By the way, happy birthday Leslie. Thanks for saving me." He replied.

"What were they doing to you, Harry? Why wouldn't they let you go back to Hogwarts?" Leslie asked.

"Dudley's been telling lies about me all summer. He kept telling uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia that I was performing magic on him and all his stupid little friends, when I never pulled my wand out once. I never even threatened him. But of course they believed their' ickle Duddy' and they locked me in my room, only bringing me food. I never thought I'd see Hogwarts again." Harry replied.

"Well as if Hermione, Ron and I would leave you there. We knew something was wrong when you didn't come to my party, or to Diagon Alley." Leslie pointed out. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sounds like your cousin is a bit of a dolt."

"Yeah he is, but now I don't have to spend the year listening to his lies." Harry replied. Leslie nodded as she rubbed her eyes. She couldn't wait to get on the Hogwarts Express; she knew she would have time to catch a nap before they arrived at Hogwarts.


	5. King's Cross and Slytherins

"By the way, nice broom Leslie." Harry said after a few hours of silent flying. Leslie smiled.

"Thanks. Professor McGonagall sent it to me yesterday." Leslie said as she looked down and already saw the streets of London below her. She glanced at her watch with wide eyes.

"Harry, hurry, the train leaves in fifteen minutes! We'll never make it!" Leslie yelled.

"Don't worry. We'll be there in five." Harry tilted the broom downward and darted toward the ground. Leslie gripped his arms tightly as they were going so fast, it felt like they were falling.

Leslie wanted to scream, but she didn't want Harry to think she didn't trust him. She closed her eyes instead.

Then she felt her feet on solid ground. She opened her eyes slowly and saw they had landed behind the train station, away from Muggle eyes.

"I told you we'd make it." Harry said as he dismounted the broomstick. Leslie did the same and looked around.

"You'll have to help me work on my landings too, I suppose." She looked at her watch and gasped. "Harry, the train leaves in ten minutes! Let's go!" She grabbed her broomstick and Hedwig's cage as Harry dragged his trunk on its wheels. They darted through King's Cross, down past Platforms one, two and three.

"Leslie. I forgot to ask. Does Hermione know what you did this morning?" Harry asked, as they passed Platforms four and five.

"Are you mad? She would've had a fit." Leslie replied as they darted by Platforms six, seven and eight.

"Finally, we're here." Leslie stopped as she took deep breaths, staring at the brick wall between Platforms nine and ten.

"Alright Leslie. Five minutes; after you." Harry said as he backed up. Leslie didn't waste any time as she ran straight for the wall, which disappeared when she hit it. She had made it on to Platform 9 3/4, where the Hogwarts Express was still boarding passengers. Harry was beside Leslie within seconds and they immediately dropped Harry's stuff, as well as Leslie's broomstick, off at the luggage compartment. As they ran toward where the students were still boarding, Leslie felt her stomach drop as she saw Mrs. Granger and Hermione standing near the train, both with arms crossed.

Leslie swallowed hard as they approached. Hermione ran to them both with open arms as she wrapped them around Leslie and Harry, still not looking impressed.

"I'm so glad the two of you made it, and that you're alright." She said, and then she turned to Leslie, crossing her arms once again. "I can't believe you did it."

"Neither can I." Mrs. Granger had joined the group now. "Leslie, what you did was very dangerous and irresponsible. We've been worried sick! I had to send an owl ahead to Professor McGonagall to tell her what you had done. You could have been hurt." Mrs. Granger appeared to be more worried than angry, and that made Leslie feel worse.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Granger. I was worried about Harry. The Dursleys had him locked up in his bedroom." She tried to explain.

"I'm really glad you found Harry, but I don't approve of you flying around London on a broomstick in the middle of a storm." Mrs. Granger sighed. "You lot had better get on board and get a seat before your train leaves." She bent down and gave Hermione a kiss before she turned to Leslie.

"I"ll see you at Christmas, then." She bent down and gave Leslie a kiss. Leslie looked surprised.

"Y-you mean, you still want me to come for Christmas?" She asked.

"Yes I do. As long as you promise me you'll leave your broomstick at school." Mrs. Granger replied. Leslie smiled, feeling really guilty about worrying her best friend and her parents. She gave Mrs. Granger a hug.

"Thank you for everything, Mrs. Granger. I'm really sorry for the trouble I've caused." She said honestly.

"Thank you for your apologies Leslie. I'd be more worried about your grandmother though." Mrs. Granger watched as the three children boarded the train. Leslie could feel the colour draining from her cheeks as she thought about facing McGonagall.

* * *

"Bloody hell. I thought you lot would never make it." Ron said as Hermione, Harry and Leslie entered the compartment Ron had saved for them. "Hey Harry. You made it, mate."

"Yeah, thanks to Leslie." Harry replied. Ron puckered his brow and turned to Leslie.

"Blimey, what did you do?" He asked. Leslie could feel Hermione's eyes burning into her.

"Well what would you have done, Hermione? Yes, I made a mistake, but they had Harry locked up. I was trying to do the right thing." Leslie said as she raised her voice. She was feeling rather tense as she was beginning to feel herself getting really tired, and nervous, as she knew she would have to face her grandmother soon.

"I know Leslie. I'm sorry, I'm not mad. I was just worried. You've never flown a broomstick that high on your own before. I was just scared. I'm glad you rescued Harry. Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without him." Hermione smiled slightly, and for a moment, Leslie felt better. Ron's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"You didn't. You flew a broomstick from Hermione's house to Harry's? Wicked! You should consider playing Quidditch!" Ron exclaimed, and Leslie giggled. As the train started up, Leslie and Harry told them the whole story.

* * *

"Blimey, I still can't believe you flew a broomstick in the Muggle world." Ron said as he shook his head in doubt. Leslie sighed.

"I know. What if I get expelled?" She asked worriedly, as she felt like she might cry.

"Well, we don't know for sure what will happen. Besides, Professor McGonagall is the only one at the school who knows, and she's the head of Gryffindor. I don't think she would expel her own granddaughter." Harry pointed out. Leslie sighed.

"I don't think she'll give me any special treatment just because I'm family. Grandmother or not, this _is_ McGonagall we're talking about." She said as she slumped against her seat, pouting.

"Aww, why the long face, Perks?" Leslie heard Malfoy's voice echo against the walls of their compartment as she looked up and saw Malfoy peering in on them. His two friends, Crabbe and Goyle were with him, but Leslie noticed two girls she could not recognize that were with the three boys.

"Push off Malfoy." Leslie said through gritted teeth as she fingered her wand.

"Leslie, no." Hermione whispered.

"Got something to say Granger?" Draco asked as Hermione looked away, crossing her arms.

"No? Thought not. Filthy little Mudblood." Malfoy retorted. Leslie jumped up defensively.

"Take it back, Malfoy, and then leave us alone." She said. Malfoy laughed as he turned to his friends.

"I guess Mudbloods stick together." He smirked.

"What do you know about sticking together? Just because you claim to have friends-"

"Oh I haven't introduced you. This is Gabrielle Sorcer and this here is Marisa Serpenca. They're in Slytherin too." Malfoy interrupted.

"No surprises there." Leslie muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gabrielle, a tall girl with long dirty blonde hair said with raised eyebrows.

"I wouldn't expect _you_ to understand." Leslie replied.

"Watch what you say, Mudblood." Marisa snapped, as her curly brown hair fell over her eyes. She brushed it away.

"Fine, we're going, but just don't forget where you stand." Malfoy said with a smirk. Leslie kept herself from saying anymore, as she watched the five Slytherins walk away, laughing. She shook her head and sat back down next to Hermione.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Malfoy?" Leslie asked as she rolled her eyes. Ron nodded.

"I'm with you Leslie." He said as he clenched his fists together tightly.

"Don't let him bother you. He's not important. What's important is that we'll be at Hogwarts very soon, and we can finally start our term." Hermione said, a little too excitedly.

"Maybe you three will." Leslie sulked. She sighed as she stared out the window. She didn't know what to expect when she arrived at Hogwarts, but she didn't want to think about it. She only hoped her grandmother would be as understanding as her friends had been.


	6. The Closest Call

"Leslie, wake up, we're here." Ron was poking Leslie, as she stirred grumpily, feeling like she had only slept for moments, even though she knew it had been at least an hour. Leslie looked out the window and noticed it was now dark, and the train was just coming to a halt. Leslie saw that Harry, Hermione and Ron were already in their school robes, and Leslie hadn't changed yet. She jumped up, in a panic.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner! I won't have time to change into my robes now! We're in Hogsmeade!" She shouted, but before anybody had a chance to respond, Hermione pulled out her wand, pointing it at Leslie.

"_Converto talaris."_ She said, and Leslie's jeans and sweater disappeared, and were replaced by her Hogwarts school robes. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Hermione." She followed her friends off of the train, feeling tense. She knew in only moments, she would have to face the possibility of being expelled, and it was the greatest fear she thought she had ever felt.

* * *

"Leslie, you have to stop worrying. You're making me nervous." Ron said as the four friends were sitting in the carriages that would carry them from Hogsmeade straight to Hogwarts. Leslie sighed, as she stared out the carriage window.

"You don't understand. Hogwarts is my home; I don't know what I would do if I was expelled. I'd never see you guys again, I'd never be able to do magic again, and I'd never learn more about my family. This is who I am; I don't want to lose it all." She admitted.

"You don't know that you will yet, Leslie. You have to have hope." Hermione said. Leslie tried, but it was no use. She knew what she had done was illegal, not to mention dangerous, and she felt guilty because she didn't regret it. Harry was one of her best friends, and she knew Hogwarts was his home too. Leslie and Harry both knew what it meant to have nowhere to go, and both of them knew their real family was at Hogwarts. Leslie didn't want Harry to miss out on that, but now she feared she would.

They approached the school, and Leslie felt herself growing teary as she stared up at the familiar school, remembering the first time she laid eyes on it, amazed and curious. As the carriages pulled up in front of the school, Leslie felt her stomach in her throat. There, standing on the front steps with the usual angry expression, was Professor Snape, the Potions master. He was also head of Slytherin, who seemed to have it in for Gryffindors.

Leslie and her friends jumped out of the carriage, and as they approached the front steps, Snape's eyes locked on Leslie, and Leslie felt her heart skip a beat.

"Perks, follow me." Snape said in his usual deep, intimidating voice. Leslie's eyes widened as Snape turned toward the school. She looked to her friends for support, but Snape was already entering the school. Leslie had no choice but to follow Snape, leaving her friends behind.

She always knew Snape hated her, and her fellow Gryffindors, and she was not particularly fond of him either, but what did he want with her? _That's a stupid question, Leslie. He probably knows what happened. He's going to expel you._ She said to herself as she struggled to keep up with Snape's quick strides. He never said a word as they made their way down to the Dungeons, where Snape's office was. Leslie immediately felt cold, as Snape unlocked his office door, and opened it. Leslie took a deep breath as she followed him inside. She wanted nothing more than to have her friends with her. At least with them around, she felt stronger, but now, as she faced Snape on her own, she felt like she might collapse.

"Perks, sit down!" Snape snapped as he summoned a chair from the corner of his office with his wand. Leslie swallowed hard and sat down, facing Snape with wide eyes.

"I hope you are proud of yourself, Ms. Perks." Snape started. Leslie didn't know how to react. She didn't know for sure if he knew what she had done that morning, but she didn't want to fall into his trap either.

"Sir, I don't know what you're talking-"

"You know _exactly_ what I am talking about Perks! Fleeing from your home in the middle of the night on a _broomstick, _no less, and flying all across London and Surrey with no invisibility whatsoever. You were seen by several Muggles, and you should consider yourself lucky that they have had their memories modified. Are you so ignorant that you've forgotten the law? No under-aged witch or wizard is to perform magic outside of Hogwarts!" Snape was raising his voice now and Leslie could feel herself shaking, but she tried to stand her ground.

"Sir, you don't understand, I was-"

"You also used magic to break open Potter's window, and carry his trunk and owl to King's Cross. That's three strikes, Perks. It looks like you're out! You'll be expelled for this, I'll make sure of it." Snape was about to continue, but his office door opened just then, and an unfamiliar woman walked in. Leslie had never seen her before, but judging from the expression on Snape's face, he had.

"Severus, you're missing the feast. I saved you a seat, you know. I've been waiting for you. You said you would be there." The red-headed woman said, as her purple robes flowed against the ground when she moved. Leslie was sure Snape was turning a slight shade of red.

"Not now, Daisy. I'll be there shortly. I have business to deal with." He stared coldly at Leslie, who felt chills run down her spine. She hated Snape almost as much as she hated Draco Malfoy.

"Alright fine. But don't be too long." The woman smiled widely with a wink, and then headed out the door. Leslie's curiosity got the better of her.

"Who was that?" She asked. Snape seemed taken aback.

"Silence! You have more important things to worry about. Like your one-way train ticket back to the Muggle world. I'll see to it, Perks, I-"

"Professor Snape, if you'll excuse me." A familiar voice from behind Leslie made her eyes widen even more. She knew right away who it was. She didn't even bother to turn around.

"I am sure that I asked you to inform me when Ms. Perks arrived at Hogwarts, so may I ask what she is doing here in your office?" Professor McGonagall asked as she entered the office a little more, standing beside Leslie, who could not look up at her grandmother.

"Minerva, I was simply impressing upon her the seriousness of her actions. She has caused a lot of trouble in the Muggle world, and I do not believe she should get away with it." Snape replied as he stood.

"I understand, Severus, but seeing as I am head of Gryffindor, I will deal with Ms. Perks accordingly. Come, Ms. Perks." Professor McGonagall started toward the door, and Leslie stood obediently. As she began to follow her grandmother, she turned around and realized that at that moment, perhaps she would have rather dealt with Snape.

* * *

"Leslie, I did _not_ send you a broomstick so you could fly around the Muggle world, allowing Muggles to see you! Yes, their memories have been modified, but that is hardly the issue. Having a broomstick is a privilege, one that I thought you would be old enough to understand. Broomstick flying is illegal in the Muggle world, unless it is an emergency, and if it is, you are required by law to use an invisibility spell on yourself." Professor McGonagall said as she paced back and forth in front of Leslie, who stood silently.

"Could you perhaps tell me what that spell is, Professor?" She asked shyly. McGonagall stopped and stared at her, and Leslie knew she should have known better than to ask.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but it was an emergency. Harry didn't come to my birthday party, or to Diagon Alley, and I knew something was wrong. So did Hermione and Ron. It's not like him, he would have told us something. I had to rescue him, and when I got to his house, he was locked in his room. They were going to keep him from coming to Hogwarts. I had to do something!" Leslie tried to defend herself, without being disrespectful, but as she tried to plead her case, she felt like she was getting nowhere, fast.

"Leslie, are you aware of the law? Under-aged witches and wizards are not allowed to perform magic outside of Hogwarts. I would have expected you to know better." McGonagall was raising her voice now.

"I do know better, but I didn't know what else to do. Harry was in trouble." Leslie knew she sounded redundant, but she was trying her best to defend herself.

"You _should_ have sent me an owl, informing me of the situation and I would have taken it into my own hands." McGonagall replied as she glared at Leslie over her square spectacles.

"With all due respect, Professor, you told me yourself you would be busy receiving owls from first year students. My owl would have been lost among them." She tried.

"Be that as it may, you should not have taken measures into your own hands. I don't know how you did it Leslie. First year students don't fly broomsticks higher than five feet. I don't know how you managed it." McGonagall's eyes were very inquiring.

"Er-" Leslie didn't want to tell her grandmother about all the times Harry let Leslie fly with him when practising for Quidditch. She didn't want to push her luck.

"Are you going to expel me?" Leslie asked after a moment of silence. Professor McGonagall turned and stared at her with a sigh.

"No, I am not Leslie, only because you are not the first student who attempted to perform magic after their first year at Hogwarts. However, those students only attempted simple spells; they do not fly their broomsticks around England, performing spells to rescue people. I'm quite disappointed Leslie; classes haven't even begun yet. I am happy you have returned to Hogwarts this year, but I expect more from you in the future." She said, emphasizing her words in a serious tone. Leslie nodded.

"I understand. Thank you Professor." She said quietly.

"Very well, off you go. You'll still make it in time for the feast." McGonagall opened the door and Leslie began to leave, head down.

"And remember, my dear, no one is to know about our relations." McGonagall added. Leslie nodded and walked away. She was happy she had not been expelled, but disappointing her grandmother was punishment enough.

* * *

"You made it!" Harry exclaimed, as Leslie approached them in the Great Hall and sat down before the piles of food.

"You haven't been expelled then?" Ron asked as he shovelled spoonfuls of food into his mouth. Leslie shook her head with a sigh.

"No. McGonagall got to me before Snape had the chance. We all know he would have just jumped at the idea of expelling a Gryffindor." She replied as she peered up and saw Professor Snape glaring at her with narrow eyes.

"Well, that's great Leslie." Hermione said happily.

"Yeah. McGonagall was not happy though." Leslie added as she noticed a bunch of new faces at the Gryffindor table. "I missed the Sorting, didn't I?"

"Yes, and Dumbledore's speech." Harry replied. Leslie's disappointment lasted only for a moment as she looked up at the head table and noticed the red-haired lady with the purple robes she had seen earlier in Snape's office, sitting beside Snape now. She was talking to him with the largest grin on his face.

"Who's that then?" Leslie asked as she turned to Hermione. Hermione finished chewing her chicken before she answered.

"That's Professor Wizengamut." She replied. Leslie raised her eyebrows.

"Professor Wizzer-what?" She giggled a little over the tongue twister.

"Wi-zen-ga-mut." Hermione repeated, emphasizing each syllable carefully.

"Is she new here?" Leslie asked, positive she had never seen her before at Hogwarts.

"Yeah, she's our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. We'll be starting classes with her tomorrow." Harry replied. Leslie looked up again and saw Professor Wizengamut whispering something into Snape's ear, and Snape's lips curled into a, no, it couldn't be a smile. It was too hard to tell, though.

"You don't suppose this Professor, er, Wizergames will go sour like Quirrel did, do you?" Leslie asked, still remembering the vivid details from last year.

"I don't know, but what I do know is that job is jinxed. There has never been a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in all of Hogwarts history who has stayed at Hogwarts for more than one year. I have a feeling she'll be gone before too long." Ron said as he stuffed a huge spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth. Hermione sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh Ronald, why must you always be so negative?" She asked. Ron glared at her, but had too much food in his mouth to retaliate. As Leslie looked up at Professor Wizengamut, she couldn't help but look forward to their first Defence Against the Dark Arts class, but at the same time, Professor Wizengamut seemed very close to Snape.

And that worried Leslie.


	7. Professor Wizengamut

Leslie could not get out of bed the next morning. No matter how much Hermione shook her, Leslie's head was glued to the pillow. Catching up on a missed night of sleep was easy in their dormitory, with large soft beds and thick red comforters. Leslie had fallen asleep before she even hit the pillow the night before. She hadn't even stayed up to catch up with her fellow Gryffindors after a summer's leave. She knew she would have all year to do that.

In Leslie's dreams, she kept on seeing the look of sheer disappointment on her grandmother's face. It had really bothered her to disappoint family and she deeply hoped McGonagall would get past it.

"Leslie, for goodness sake, it's our first day of classes. You have to wake up!" Hermione shouted. Leslie turned over with a moan. Hermione grumbled as she straightened her tie.

"Aren't you even slightly interested in our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" She asked. Leslie's eyes popped open. _Oh yeah! Whizbees, I forgot! Brilliant!_ Curiosity got her out of bed.

"Right, I forgot!" Leslie was already pulling on her stockings as Hermione held back a giggle.

* * *

Leslie, Hermione, Ron and Harry scarfed down a quick breakfast that morning, all eager to get to their first Defence Against the Dark Arts class, and meet their new professor.

They raced down the corridor toward their classroom. They were stopped by Professor Flitwick and reminded of the rules about running in the hallways. The four children walked briskly the rest of the way.

Finally, they arrived and Ron picked out four seats near the front of the classroom.

"Ron, since when do you sit in the front of the classroom?" Leslie asked.

"Yeah, that's usually Hermione's thing." Harry added.

"Hey!" Hermione retorted.

"I can't help it. I'm bloody curious, aren't you?" Ron asked. The other three couldn't deny they were, so they joined Ron at the front of the classroom, as the rest of the students filed in, all eager to meet Professor Wizengamut.

* * *

The chatter died down as the back door opened slowly. Everybody craned their neck to see who had just entered the room. Leslie recognized her immediately; the same red-headed woman who had sat next to Snape the previous evening at the feast. She was wearing the same purple robes, but this time, a deep purple hat rested upon her head.

She strutted toward the front of the classroom, smiling down at the students who stared at her curiously. When she approached the front of the classroom, she pulled out her wand and pointed it upward.

"_Ignis Indago_!" She shouted and above all of the students heads came a display of fireworks, just as loud and as colourful as though they were all outdoors. Gasps and excited chatter filled the room, as the students clapped and laughed, staring up at their new professor in wonder, and sheer amazement.

"Welcome to your first day of Defence Against the Dark Arts. My name is Professor Wizengamut and I do not expect any of you to remember that silly old name, so you may call me Professor Wizzie." Professor Wizengamut said with a wink and the students laughed cheerfully.

"I know last year, your professor taught you about the evils of the dark arts. I also know he taught you things that are _obviously_ dark. Yes, there are some things that are obvious to any witch or wizard whether or not they possess dark magic, but I am here to tell you that is not always true." Professor Wizengamut lowered her voice and grew very serious as she leaned forward. "There is dark magic in even the least likely of creatures, objects and _even_ people. You have to know to be alert and expect the worst, no matter what. Always remember - not everything is what it seems." The class hushed and stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Not to worry. I'll be here every step of the way to teach you. Right then, I'll need a volunteer. Erm, you there, in the back." Professor Wizzie pointed toward the back of the room and every head turned. Professor Wizzie was pointing at a young Hufflepuff student with long orange hair braided into two pigtails. Glasses covered her green eyes as she stared at Wizzie with wide eyes.

"Would you come up here and help me with a little presentation?" Wizzie said as the girl hesitantly stood and made her way to the front of the room, head down, avoiding the stares of her classmates.

"Thank you my dear, now, would you please come over here and stand behind this table?" Professor Wizzie took the young girl's hand and led her over to a table set up with three covered up objects. Leslie thought the shapes looked like cages. She noticed the sheer look of terror on the Hufflepuff's face and felt nervous for her.

"Now then, underneath these covers are three magical creatures. Your job, young lady, is to choose the one most appealing to you and pet it." Wizzie told the red-headed girl. The girl seemed surprised.

"T-that's all?" She asked. Wizzie nodded.

"That's all." She pulled out her wand, pointing it at the three objects on the table. "_Acclaro."_ At once, the cloths flew away to reveal three small cages, each with a different creature inside. The first was a green, scaly snake-like creature with a tongue that darted out so far, it nearly reached Leslie's face. _Gross._ She thought.

The second was a bright yellow bird whose screech echoed through the room so fiercely, the students had to cover their ears. The bird was blowing smoke out of its beak.

The third creature appeared somewhat like a fluffy white kitten with no ears or whiskers. It's deep blue eyes were as large as saucers and a tiny squeak came from its mouth.

"Aww!" All the girls cooed. Wizzie raised her hand to silence the crowd as the red-headed Hufflepuff stared into the three cages unknowingly and frightened.

"Go on, young lady, take your pick." Wizzie prompted. Leslie held her breath as she watched the girl finally reach her hand out to pet the fluffy white creature. Leslie immediately felt calm, feeling she had made the right choice when all of a sudden, the creatures eyes flashed a burning red and the fluffy white fur transformed into thick black spikes protruding from its body. The Hufflepuff girl screamed, and as the creature let out a loud growl, a misty cloud flew out of its mouth at the girl. As the girl breathed in the mist, she froze! She was not moving! Leslie gasped and from behind her, she could hear Malfoy and his band of Slytherins laughing.

"That's exactly what you all would have done, isn't it? You'd always go for the cutest, most cuddly creature, but this creature is not so cute and cuddly anymore, is it? This, my friends, is called a Captiocrat, from the Latin word 'to deceive.' Luckily, this one is only a baby, and the petrification mist will only last for a moment, but if you ever crossed an adult Captiocrat, you would be petrified forever! However, they can only spray if you try to touch them. But, as you just saw here, it appears to be a cuddly soft creature. _This_ is what I intend to teach you this year." Professor Wizzie said as she turned to the table. "_Abstrudo."_ At once, the covers flew back and draped themselves over the cages once again. Leslie couldn't take her eyes off the petrified Hufflepuff girl. As Wizzie continued on with her lesson about Captiocrats, the young girl finally started moving again. She looked around, terrified as she backed away from the table. The Slytherins were still snickering.

"Ah wonderful. You see class? Only a few moments, and she's as good as new. Thank you my dear. You may sit down." Wizzie said as she motioned for the Slytherins to keep their mouths shut. Leslie watched as a tear seemed to be forming in the Hufflepuff girl's eye, as she sped back to her seat.

* * *

"Leslie, hurry up. We have Herbology outside in Greenhouse 2 and we only ave a ten-minute break." Hermione whined as Leslie seemed to be dawdling at the end of Wizzie's class.

"You three go ahead. I'll be there in a minute." Leslie replied as she stuffed her notebook in her bag. Harry, Ron and Hermione left the classroom in high spirits. Leslie, however, did not feel so great. The young Hufflepuff girl was slowly gathering her books as the rest of the class left the room without so much as saying a word to her. Leslie grabbed her bag and shyly approached the girl, clearing her throat.

"Hello." Leslie piped up. The girl turned to her and Leslie noticed her green eyes were the brightest green eyes she had ever seen.

"Hi." The girl said shyly, as though shocked that somebody was actually talking to her.

"I'm Leslie; Leslie Perks. What's your name?" Leslie asked as she pulled on her pigtail.

"Tenille Smythe." Tenille said in a quiet voice. She seemed like such a shy girl. Leslie waited, unsure of what she should say.

"So, er, what did it feel like? You know, being petrified like that?" Leslie asked, immediately feeling like it was a rather stupid question to ask.

"Horrid; absolutely horrible! I may not have been able to move, but I could hear everything. I...I heard people laughing at me." Tenille turned her head away, as though ashamed. Leslie rolled her eyes.

"That was just Malfoy and his filthy band of Slytherins. You have to ignore them - they're stupid. They laugh at everyone; don't take it personally." She said. Tenille nodded slowly.

"So...nobody else was laughing then?" She asked. Leslie shook her head.

"No. Just the Slytherins. You don't have to worry." She replied as she followed Tenille out of the classroom. The two girls walked down the corridor together and once they were far enough from the classroom, Tenille spoke up again.

"I don't like her." She said, as a sour expression crossed her face. Leslie turned to her.

"Who?" She asked, puckering her brow.

"Professor Wizengamut. I can't believe she did that to me. I didn't even volunteer. She just...picked me." Tenille replied as she turned a corner rather sharply. Leslie shrugged.

"She could have picked anybody, I suppose. I'm sure it's nothing personal toward you." She paused. "I don't know. I thought she was pretty cool." Tenille said nothing, but gave a small nod in response.

* * *

Leslie was sitting with Harry, Ron and Hermione outside in the courtyard during their lunch break. They watched with fascination as Ron's older twin brothers, Fred and George, were setting off fireworks from behind a large rock.

Leslie joined her friends as they tried to wipe the slimy film from their hands left there by the Yippersnap plants.

"Yuck. It just doesn't come off easily, does it?" Ron complained as he vigorously rubbed his hands in the grass. Hermione rolled her eyes as she pulled out her wand, pointing it to Ron's hands.

"_Detergeo._" She said as the slime disappeared from Ron's hands. "If you lot were paying any attention to Professor Sprout, you'd know that spell is the only thing that gets rid of the Yippersnap slime."

"Well I'm sorry, but I was still thinking about our Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Wizzie." Ron retorted. Leslie smiled with a nod.

"It was pretty interesting, wasn't it?" She asked.

"Interesting? Try bloody brilliant! Wizzie is wicked!" Ron replied with a spark of enthusiasm. Hermione stifled a giggle and leaned over to Leslie, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"I think Ron fancies Professor Wizzie." She said. Leslie giggled and Ron raised his eyebrows in defence.

"I heard that, and I do _not_ fancy her. She's...she's just good, you know, with her dark arts and all." He tried to argue, but his ears were already turning a lovely shade of pink.


	8. A Boy Named Kedavra

It was no great surprise to the students how quickly their first month at Hogwarts had sped by, seeing as how their workload grew heavier with each passing day. Leslie found herself trying to catch up on days worth of reading, on top of essays to be written and charms and spells to be practiced. Hermione seemed to be having no trouble with any of it; in fact, she had so much free time, she began to help Ron, Leslie and Harry. Leslie knew she was somewhat behind in her studies, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Harry and Ron. Harry had started Quidditch again, and his captain, Oliver Wood, demanded nightly practices, and Harry's schoolwork began to suffer. Ron had never had any interest in his studies, and Hermione reamed him constantly for his laziness, but Ron had other things on his mind these days. Leslie and Hermione would, in the privacy of their own dormitory, giggle about how the only homework Ron ever completed was for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

* * *

It was October the 5th, and Harry didn't come to breakfast. Hermione, Ron and Leslie waited for him, but they knew he was probably at the Quidditch pitch already. Harry always seemed to lose his appetite right before a Quidditch match, especially when it was against Slytherin.

"Has anybody talked to Harry today?" Leslie wanted to know as she spread some marmalade on her toast. Hermione shook her head, but Ron nodded.

"For a moment, this morning. He left fairly early. Wood wanted them to do a lot of warming up before the game." He explained as he began to devour his oatmeal. Leslie sighed.

"Don't you think Wood is a bit overenthusiastic about Quidditch? I mean, I'm a big fan of the game, but Harry's been out to practice every night this week, and the week before, preparing for this game." She complained. "It isn't fair to Harry, or to the rest of the team either."

"Come on Leslie, they're playing Slytherin! They _have_ to win, or we'll get teased right up until the next Quidditch match." Ron pointed out. Leslie shrugged.

"Still." She finished her toast in silence, hoping Harry was able to grab at least something to eat before he played today.

* * *

It was a sunny day, and Leslie found herself removing her cloak as the three friends made their way down to the Quidditch pitch.

"Have you flown your broomstick at all since you've been here Leslie?" Ron asked as they neared the pitch. Leslie sighed and shrugged.

"Harry's invited me down here some evenings to help me with my landings and my speed, but ever since I was nearly expelled, I've been slightly frightened to even mount my broomstick. McGonagall still hasn't seemed to get over what happened at the beginning of term. I don't want to make her more angry." She admitted.

"What harm can you cause by flying your broomstick within the Hogwarts walls? You're in second year; you're allowed to fly your broomstick now, just so long as it is within the Hogwarts grounds. She can't go sour about that." Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, and besides Leslie, you should practice. Who knows? You might play for the Gryffindor Quidditch team some day." Ron added. Leslie smiled, as she thought of the idea. _Me? Play Quidditch some day? _Leslie liked the idea, and had never really put a great deal of thought into it, but now, the concept sounded rather appealing.

"Ms. Perks?" Leslie snapped out of it and noticed Professor McGonagall was now walking beside her. Leslie immediately thought she was in trouble, and racked her brain trying to figure out what she had done.

"Yes ma'am?" Leslie asked, wishing things could return to the way they were with her grandmother. This tension was killing her.

"I need your help with something. Would you please come with me?" McGonagall asked as she turned in the opposite direction. Leslie swallowed hard and waved to Ron and Hermione as she followed her grandmother. It was a silent walk, and Leslie couldn't help but wonder what McGonagall needed her help with. _Or maybe she just said that so Ron and Hermione wouldn't suspect I'm really in trouble._ She paused. _Am I in trouble?_ She sighed, as she followed Professor McGonagall down the corridor toward her Transfiguration classroom. Leslie puckered her brow. _Why her classroom? Why not her office? _Leslie's curiosity was definitely sparked now as Professor McGonagall held open the door for Leslie, who entered slowly.

The first thing Leslie noticed was that they were not alone. Sitting at the front of the classroom, head down, was a young boy, tapping the desk rhythmically. He seemed very small for his age, and Leslie guessed he must be in first year, as he seemed too small to be any older, and she had never seen him before. He mustn't have heard the door, because he didn't so much as move a muscle. Leslie looked to McGonagall for an explanation, but McGonagall gently eased Leslie further into the classroom, where the boy finally turned and stood when he saw Professor McGonagall. He swallowed hard. Leslie wanted to ask, but found that Professor McGonagall was forthcoming.

"Leslie, I would like you to take this boy to the Owlry. He is in first year and doesn't know the way. He has a detention there that must be served and so I request that you would show him the way." McGonagall explained. Leslie immediately felt disappointment.

"But Professor! It's the first Quidditch game of the season. Harry's playing! The Owlry is on the other side of the castle. I'll miss half the game if I go there and back." She complained. Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows, and Leslie knew by that familiar look that she was not to argue any longer.

"Ms. Perks, I have asked you to do something, and I expect you to do it. There will be plenty more Quidditch games for you to watch. Now, off you go, the both of you, and young man, I suggest you do your best to get yourself oriented, as you will be spending the next seven years here. It would do you a world of good to know where you are going." McGonagall turned with an emotionless face and left her classroom to Leslie and the boy. Leslie sighed, muttering under her breath, as she could already hear the cheers coming from the Quidditch pitch. The boy cleared his throat.

"Sorry. I didn't know she was going to ask a student to show me." He said in a quiet voice. Leslie turned to him and sighed.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault." She managed to smile a little. "I'm Leslie Perks."

"Christopher Kedavra." The boy waited, and puckered his brow when he received no response. "Well?"

"Well what?" Leslie wanted to know.

"Aren't you going to laugh at my name?" Christopher asked.

"Why would I laugh at your name? It's just a name." Leslie pointed out.

"Everybody laughs at my name, and I expect they have good reason to." Christopher said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Christopher, I don't quite understand why your name is a laughing matter." Leslie said, feeling more and more confused.

"Haven't you ever heard of the Killing Curse?" Christopher was surprised when Leslie shook her head. "_Avada Kedavra._ Don't you see? My last name is Kedavra."

"So? It's a coincidence." Leslie said.

"No, it's not. The name Kedavra is a cursed name. It has been for centuries. Those who carry the name Kedavra are destined to die; but not by normal means. It's a curse on everybody who has the name. It means...they will be killed." Christopher explained as he swallowed hard. It obviously brought the boy great fear to talk about. Leslie shook her head.

"Well, that doesn't mean it will happen to everybody who have that name. It's just a silly old myth. I'm sure-"

"Both of my parents were killed." Christopher's eyes held so much pain in that moment that Leslie could almost feel it. "They were in a car accident. My dad was a wizard and my mum was a witch, and I thought that meant they were safe, but I guess it means nothing having magical powers. I was seven."

Leslie swallowed hard.

"Both my parents are dead too, Christopher." She said quietly. A momentary silence followed as the two children shared a brief memorial for their own parents. Neither child said another word, as Leslie led the way out of McGonagall's classroom to head toward the Owlry.

"So you're in Gryffindor too?" Christopher asked, as though he wanted to forget they ever had this conversation. Leslie puckered her brow.

"Yes, but how did you know?" She wanted to know. Christopher shrugged.

"The Gryffindor crest is on your cloak." He pointed out. Leslie almost laughed out loud.

"Oh. Right. You're in Gryffindor then?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's only my first year. That's why I've been getting myself lost in this castle." Christopher replied. Leslie remembered her first year and complaining about the state of the staircases changing at the most inconvient times.

"So, who gave you the detention?" Leslie asked, as they turned a sharp corner.

"Professor Wizzie." Christopher replied. Leslie's first reaction was of surprise. Wizzie had never struck her as the disciplinarian type. She was always so laid back and fun. Giving detentions?

"Why? What did you do?" Leslie asked.

"It wasn't my fault. It was those stupid Slytherins. Wizzie was teaching us about, er, well I can't remember now, but the Slytherins were making fun of my name and I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to turn them into frogs using the transfiguration spell Professor McGonagall taught us, but it didn't work. I guess changing humans into frogs is a bit more complicated than turning sponges into frogs. They had to be sent to the hospital wing to get their tongues shortened, and Wizzie gave me a detention cleaning the Owlry when the first Quidditch match was on. I...I really wanted to see the game." Christopher replied as he scuffed his shoe against the stone floor bitterly. Leslie smiled sympathetically.

"Don't worry. You'll see another. Besides, Gryffindor will win it for us, and we'll have a great celebration in the common room later. I'm sure you'll be done the Owlry by then." She tried to make Christopher feel better as they approached the large tower that was the Owlry.

"Well, here we are." Leslie announced. Christopher tried to smile, but failed. His disappointment showed.

"Thank you Leslie." He said. Leslie smiled and before she turned to go, she heard voices from behind the Owlry door.

"Hang on a minute Christopher." Leslie's curiosity got the better of her as she leaned up against the wooden door. The voices were muffled, but she could make them out; it was Wizzie and Snape!

"Don't be silly Severus. Nobody knows." Wizzie said in her singsong voice.

"Daisy, I do not believe we are in such a safe position to be doing what we are doing." Snape replied in his usual monotone voice.

"Safe? I am not worried about safety. I am glad to have met you once again this summer, Severus. When we left Hogwarts years ago, I didn't think I would ever see you again. You being in Slytherin and myself in Gryffindor, I never expected our paths to cross again, but here we are." Wizzie said.

"Indeed we are."

"I have always had a liking toward you, you know. Ever since we were young students here at Hogwarts. It is fate that we are here. I have loved you since our youth, and now we are together at Hogwarts once again. Come now, Severus, don't deny your love for me." Wizzie said. Leslie shoved her fist in her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"What?" Christopher asked, unable to hear what Leslie had heard. Before Leslie could hear Snape's reply, she heard footsteps approaching the door. She backed up quickly and stood next to Christopher as the heavy doors opened. As Wizzie and Snape walked out, Leslie was sure Snape was turning pink.

"What are you doing here Perks?" Snape asked as he seemed more jittery than Leslie had ever seen him.

"Professor McGonagall asked me to bring Christopher here for his detention with Professor Wizzie, sir." Leslie replied.

"Professor what?" Snape seemed angry. Wizzie waved it off.

"Oh, just a silly old nickname the students use for me." She turned to Leslie. "Hello my dear. I expect you're doing well?" Leslie nodded politely, still finding it hard to keep a straight face as she imagined Snape in love.

"Well then, off you go. Perhaps you can catch the rest of the Quidditch game. Thank you for bringing Christopher to me." Wizzie said as she turned to Christopher with raised eyebrows.

"You're welcome." Leslie could feel giggles coming quickly. "Bye Christopher. See you later." Without another word, she sped down the courtyard, almost doubling over in laughter. _I can't wait to tell the others!_

* * *

As Leslie ran toward the Quidditch pitch bubbling with the news, she was surprised at how quiet it seemed. _Why can't I hear any cheering?_ She wondered.

As she reached the pitch, her question was answered immediately. There were no students filling up the stands, there were no players scoring goals, and there was no Madame Hooch refereeing the game. Leslie puckered her brow. _I wasn't gone that long._

"Aww, poor little Leslie looks lost." Leslie turned and saw Malfoy's two friends, Gabrielle and Marisa staring at her with crossed arms. Leslie rolled her eyes. _Brilliant. _She thought.

"Where is everybody?" Leslie demanded, not wanting to start any trouble, but feeling tempted to grab her wand.

"What's the matter? Did you miss your boyfriend's game?" Marisa asked.

"Harry is _not_ my boyfriend, and yes, I did miss the game. What happened?" Leslie was growing impatient with their mind games, and she was getting worried too. The last time she remembered a Quidditch game ending so quickly was last year when Harry fainted on his broom and had to be sent to hospital wing immediately.

"Your stupid boyfriend caught the snitch in the first five minutes. Everyone's saying it's some sort of Hogwarts record but we know he cheated." Gabrielle said as she stuck her nose up in the air proudly. Leslie rolled her eyes at her comment, and turned to leave, knowing that if she stayed any longer, her temper would get the better of her.

"Oh look, Gabby, she's running off to find her ickle Potty-boy." Marisa said in a sing-song kind of voice. Leslie felt her face getting hot, and as she raced from the Quidditch pitch, the only thing that kept her from turning around to retaliate was the fascinating bit of news she couldn't wait to tell Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Besides, she couldn't wait to tell Harry how proud she was of his performance, even though she had missed it.

* * *

After Leslie told the Fat Lady the Gryffindor password, the portrait swung open and crowds filled the common room. Banners hung from the ceilings, sweets were piled high on all of the surrounding tables and Harry was in the midst of it all. Leslie's proud smile was seen from across the room as Harry was hoisted up by Fred and George Weasley, who proclaimed "Three cheers for Harry!"

"Leslie!" Harry called as Fred and George dropped him and Leslie ran over and threw her arms around Harry, who hugged her back tightly.

"Did you see-"

"Yes Harry, I heard! Congratulations. You've set a record now." Leslie said proudly as Harry grinned from ear to ear.

"They told me the last Hogwarts seeker to catch the snitch so quickly was my dad." He said, and Leslie could tell he was proud to be his father's son.

"That's great Harry. I guess Quidditch runs in your family." Leslie replied.

"I'm learning more about my parents all the time, I suppose." Harry paused. "Did you see who the new Slytherin seeker is?"

"No Harry. I didn't get to see any of the game. McGonagall needed me to run an errand for her. I'm sorry I missed it. Why? Who is the Slytherin seeker?" Leslie wanted to know. Harry raised his eyebrows as his grin disappeared.

"Malfoy." He said simply. Leslie opened her mouth in disapproval as she narrowed her eyebrows.

"You're joking right? How'd he pull that one off then? Who did he bribe?" Leslie asked.

"That's exactly what I wanted to know." Hermione said, as her and Ron just joined Harry and Leslie. "I bet his father played some part in that one."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least." Leslie commented, and before anyone had a chance to say anything, Leslie remembered what she overheard behind the Owrly doors. She stifled a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked. Leslie stared at her friends with wide eyes.

"You wouldn't _believe_ what I heard today." She said, and as her three friends listened intently, Leslie recounted what she had heard before Wizzie and Snape had come out. Ron, Harry and Hermione gaped at Leslie as though she had onions growing out of her ears.

"You're joking, right?" Hermione asked, fighting the urge to laugh.

"With Professor _Snape?_ Are you sure Leslie?" Ron asked. Leslie nodded confidently.

"Oh yes, I'm positive. She was totally keen on him, and Snape was turning awfully red when he and Wizzie came out of the Owlry to collect Christopher." She replied. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and then broke out into a hearty laugh.

"_Snape_ has a girlfriend? I can't believe it." Harry howled. As the four friends shared a giggle, the rest of the Gryffindor students began to cheer for Harry's victory over Slytherin once again, and Leslie, Hermione and Ron found themselves shoving their fists in their mouths to avoid the questioning stares of their fellow Gryffindors.


	9. Halloween Horror

Ron was in an oddly bright mood on the morning of October the 31st, and it carried on for the rest of the day. Leslie knew what had his spirits so high; it was Halloween, and Halloween always brought a great feast, one that Ron looked forward to with great anticipation. Leslie had to admit, even she was feeling slightly more excited than usual. What excited her most of all (Ron and Harry as well) was that Professor Dumbledore had announced that since it was Halloween, classes would be cancelled that day, which perked Leslie up quite a bit, as it was an unusually warm day for the end of October, and she had been simply itching to get outside with her broomstick; even if McGonagall was still sour about it. So Harry, Ron and Hermione had agreed to play a two-on-two Quidditch match in the courtyard that afternoon (after Hermione's desperate attempt to get the group to take advantage of the day off and get caught up on their homework).

So right after the four of them had scarfed down their lunch in the Great Hall, they headed down to the courtyard, which was already deserted. Leslie and Harry clung tightly to their own broomsticks; Hermione and Ron had to borrow two of the school broomsticks for the afternoon, as neither of them had their own broomsticks to fly. Leslie was determined to learn how to play Quidditch; ever since Ron had suggested Leslie might be on the Gryffindor team one day, she couldn't stop thinking about Quidditch. Besides, she had speed and landings to work on.

The four decided to play boys against girls, but Leslie soon found out that was a mistake. Hermione was a terrible Quidditch player, and Leslie was still learning how to manoeuver her broomstick. Ron wasn't all that impressive either, especially after Professor Wizzie walked past, waving a quick hello to the four children. (Ron had ended up in a tree). It was no surprise that Ron and Harry had won the first game, and the next five. Leslie blamed it on the unfair fact that Harry was the Seeker on the Quidditch team.

"Well, what did you expect? You're the only one here who really knows all the tricks to Quidditch." She complained. Thus ended their games. The four friends landed their broomsticks (Leslie landed ten feet away from the rest of them) and they headed back to the common room. Harry caught up with Leslie, as Hermione and Ron went to return their broomsticks to Madame Hooch's shed.

"Hey, you played really well." Harry said. Leslie rolled her eyes.

"Whizbees, Harry, in case you didn't notice, I let a whole lot of goals get past me. That's not exactly measuring up to Quidditch player of the year." She moped. She had really been hoping to do a lot better, but tried to convince herself that it was her first time playing the game, and perhaps she did have to practice, but Leslie couldn't argue with the fact that she was a very impatient person.

"Maybe you weren't the best Keeper, but you were a really great Chaser. I was watching you." Harry said. Leslie raised her eyebrows, as she stopped in the hallway.

"You were watching me?" She asked again, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pink. Harry shrugged.

"Well yeah, you're a good flyer. I know it's too late to try out for the team this year, since the team is already picked out, but I think you have a shot of making it as a Chaser next year. You would do well to go to tryouts next year." He replied as the two continued their walk to the common room. Leslie's head was buzzing, imagining herself playing Quidditch with her best friend, and doing her best to bring honour to Gryffindor. She sighed.

"Well," She said. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to practice."

"Not at all, and besides," Harry smiled. "You've got me to help you."

* * *

"Hermione, would you hurry up? I don't want to miss the feast." Leslie whined as she stood up from her chair once again, staring at Hermione, who was vigorously working on her Herbology essay. Leslie was quite proud of the fact that she had already finished; it was one of those rare times when she had finished her homework before Hermione.

"I'm writing my conclusion; just wait." Hermione cried out impatiently. Leslie sighed and plopped herself in the arm chair.

"Harry and Ron already went down." Leslie pointed out. Hermione glared at her from over her quill.

"Then they'll save us seats." She retorted, as her quill began to move faster across the parchment. Leslie kept her mouth shut and stared out the window. It had started to rain, and Leslie was so happy they had managed a few hours in the sunlight before the nasty weather arrived. Then, in the far distance, Leslie saw a black owl flying toward the common room window. Leslie stood up and looked around; nobody else was in the common room. They had already headed down to the Great feast.

The black owl landed on the window sill, and Leslie ran over, opening the window. The owl dropped a piece of paper into Leslie's hands, and Leslie patted it on the head, letting it bite at her finger, as she opened the letter.

"Hermione, it's from your mum and dad." Leslie called out excitedly, as the envelope was addressed to both Leslie and Hermione. Hermione dropped her quill and ran over, as Leslie handed her the letter. Both girls leaned in to read the letter.

_To my girls, Hermione and Leslie_,

_I am hoping you are well. We have been worried sick, girls. I don't know if you have seen the Daily Prophet today, but as soon as I read the article on page _A4_, I just had to make sure you were forewarned. Please take great caution, girls. We are already thinking you are unsafe at school, but we know Professor Dumbledore does his absolute best to keep his students safe, but do be careful, and have a look at the Daily Prophet. Don't drink anything, unless it's at Hogwarts. We love you both, and hope to hear from you soon._

_Mum and dad,_

_(Mr. and Mrs. Granger)._

"What article? Did you see it, Hermione?" Leslie asked, once they had finished reading the letter. Hermione shook her head.

"I haven't looked at the paper yet. I've been too busy trying to finish my Herbology essay." She replied as she darted to the table, where the unopened copy of her Daily Prophet sat. She tore the binding off the paper, and turned quickly to page A4, where a moving photograph of a man waved at them. The article below the picture read:

HOGSMEADE BARTENDER DIED YESTERDAY

Sources have recently confirmed the sudden death of 25-year-old Bartholomew

Trinity last night. While Trinity was working a long night shift, he poured himself a

glass of brandy and left it unattended as he served his faithful customers. Upon

taking a sip of his drink, he fell over, pronounced dead on the spot. The Ministry

is releasing the suspicions that Trinity was most likely poisoned, but there are no witnesses

who can testify who slipped the poison into Trinity's unattended Brandy. The Ministry is

questioning all customers from that evening. The Ministry is currently advising all to take

great caution, until they can learn more details.

"Dead? Just like that? Who would have poisoned him?" Leslie asked.

"I don't know, but it seems rather sudden." Hermione replied.

"Hermione, do you think whoever did this was after Bartholomew, or do you think whoever did this was just, you know, killing a random bartender?" Leslie wanted to know. Hermione stared at her with wide eyes.

"I don't know, but if it was a random death, then whoever did it, might strike again, and that would mean..."

"Nobody's safe." Leslie swallowed hard as she stared at the waving young man in the photograph, who would never wave again.

* * *

Leslie and Hermione met Ron and Harry down in the Great Hall. Ron was still grinning from ear to ear, holding his fork in hand, waiting for the great feast to appear in front of him. Leslie and Hermione had rushed down to tell Ron and Harry all about their letter from the Grangers, and about the Daily Prophet article, but before they even had the chance, Dumbledore stood and held his arms out, asking for silence by his gestures. The hall quieted and stared at him.

"By now, I am sure a great lot of you have read the article in today's Daily Prophet about young Bartholomew Trinity. I am here to inform you, not to frighten you, but for your own safety, that young Bartholomew was not the first, nor the last to die from poison in the last couple of days. There have been other killings, but those stories have not been released to the Daily Prophet by the Ministry. The Ministry is doing all they can to prevent panic from setting in. I am telling you, because I want you to be on your guard. I can assure you, that while you are under our care, you are perfectly safe, but for those of you in third year or higher, who take trips into Hogsmeade on weekends, I would advise you to drink nothing. Drinks will be provided to you upon your return. I trust you all will take great caution. But, enough of the grave news. It is still Halloween, so I have spoken enough." Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Tuck in."

The empty plates upon the tables filled up with loads and loads of food, and Ron, saying not a word, dove in. Harry, Hermione and Leslie were talking quietly about the deaths.

"Do you think Dumbledore's right? Do you think we're really safe here at the castle?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore's a very clever wizard, Harry. He's also very much concerned for the welfare of his students." Hermione replied.

"That's true. If we really were in any kind of danger, Dumbledore would have us sent home immediately." Leslie added. Harry sighed, as he stared up at the headmaster.

"Still." He pondered, as he finally grabbed a roll from the nearest basket. "What if Dumbledore was wrong?" Leslie and Hermione exchanged glances nervously, as they stared at their Pumpkin juice. As they glanced around, watching every other student sipping their juice, they felt somewhat safer, but still, the poisoner could be anywhere.

Or anyone.


	10. Wizzie to the Rescue

"And thank you, Mr. Thomas, for helping me with my demonstration. That, my dears, is how you distinguish between an ordinary quill and a Diffapectum" Professor Wizzie announced at the end of one of her lessons in Defence Against the Dark Arts. "Er, no worries Mr. Thomas, those eyebrows should grow back quickly enough." Leslie breathed a sigh of relief that she had once again managed avoid being a part of one of Wizzie's practical lessons. She watched nervously as Dean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor from their second year, made his way back to his desk, touching the skin where his eyebrows had once been. Leslie swallowed hard, knowing Professor Wizzie could call a new name to help her with her next demonstration. Leslie swore she heard a gulp coming from Harry's throat.

"Now then boys and girls -" Professor Wizzie started, as she clapped her hands together. As she scanned the room with those mystifying blue eyes, Leslie was sure she was not the only student to avert her gaze. But before Professor Wizzie had a chance to call on anybody, a boy named Seamus Finnigan spoke up from the back of the classroom.

"Er, professor?" He piped up. Seamus was another 2nd year Gryffindor student, who shared a dormitory with Harry and Ron. Professor Wizzie's eyes darted to where he was sitting and she smiled broadly.

"Yes, Mr. Finnigan? You'd like to help me with my next demonstration, I assume?" She asked as she outstretched her arms.

"No!" Seamus cleared his throat. "Erm, I mean, no ma'am. It's just, well, I had a question."

"Well, what is it my dear?" Wizzie asked as she leaned forward slightly. Seamus swallowed hard, as every pair of eyes were on him.

"I, er, was just wondering, well, I mean, we've heard that you and Professor Snape are...well...you know, going together." He bravely stammered. Every student shifted nervously in their seats. Leslie stared at Professor Wizzie inquisitively. She and Christopher had been the first to notice the pair of professors together, but word had travelled through Hogwarts at the speed of light, and ever since the first Quidditch game of the season, every student had been itching to ask the same question Seamus had just asked. Leslie looked over at her friends and noticed Ron appeared slightly more interested than the rest of his peers.

"Oh." Professor Wizzie's voice seemed higher; an expression of surprise splashed across her face. "You lot know about that, do you?" She watched as her students nervously glanced around, and a few brave souls nodded their heads. Leslie found herself leaning forward curiously. She wanted to hear what Professor Wizzie had to say. _Perhaps I misheard them. I mean, whizbees! What could she possibly see in him?_

"Very well. Sever - er, Professor Snape thought it would be best if you didn't know, but seeing as you're a clever bunch, you deserve to hear about it. Yes, I've known Professor Snape since our days as students here at Hogwarts. We were always at odds, with him in Slytherin and myself in Gryffindor. But just before we graduated, we bumped into each other over by the Whomping Willow. And I guess we just ht it off. Unfortuately, we went our separate ways but fate has brought us together again. If Dumbledore had never offered me this job, I never would have met up with my little Sev ahem, Professor Snape. So, in answer to your question, Mr. Finnigan, yes, Professor Snape and myself are going together." She explained, but her explanation didn't end there. She spent the last fifteen minutes of class reminiscing of her days spent crushing over the man she had let go, as a dreamy glaze painted her eyes. Leslie was relieved when Professor Wizzie dismissed her class, because hearing Wizzie talk the way she did about Snape made her feel nauseated.

* * *

"I think I've lost my appetite." Harry complained as the four friends trudged toward the Great Hall for lunch. Leslie nodded in agreement.

"Look on the bright side - at least nobody had to participate in her, erm, demonstrations in the last half of class." Hermione pointed out, as she turned just in time to see Dean Thomas dashing toward the hospital wing, holding his hand over where his eyebrows had once been. Leslie shuddered, thankful she had so far managed to avoid being picked in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Leslie liked Professor Wizzie, but her style of teaching had a more practical approach, and it kept most of the students on the edge of their seats. All except for Ron, who seemed to lean forward expectantly whenever Professor Wizzie required an assistant. Ron had turned a lovely shade of pink both times he had been selected, and ignored Harry, Hermione and Leslie when they tried to convince him to perform the counter-curse on the sixth finger that had grown as a result of Wizzie's _Segitus_ curse.

"I still can't believe Wizzie is going with Snape. I mean, bloody helll, what does she bloody see in him? He's not handsome by any stretch, he's nastier than a Blast-Ended Skrewt, and worst of all, he hates Gryffindors!" Ron complained as he bitterly kicked a small stone as they strolled through the courtyard. Hermione, Harry and Leslie exchanged quick grins as Ron continued to mumble to himself. She was sure she heard Ron say something along the lines of "If only..."

"Leslie!" Leslie turned and saw Tenille approaching the group. Leslie told her friends she would meet them in the Great Hall as they continued along, Ron still kicking his stone.

"Hey Tenille. What did you think of Professor Wizzie's-"

"Brilliant, I guess." Tenille answered quicky, almost as though she hadn't heard Leslie. "I was wondering if you could help me with something." Leslie knew how much Tenille seemed to hate Professor Wizzie, so she mentally made a note not to bring up Wizzie's name again to Tenille.

"Sure, what is it?" Leslie asked as she felt the cool breeze through her robes.

"I've got this essay to write for Professor Bines for History of Magic on the back roads of Hogsmeade, and I was wondering if you could help me research it in the library today after classes. I know you hang out with Hermione a lot, and you probably know you're way around the library a little better than I do." Tenille replied. Leslie knew this was true; the previous year, they had spent a lot of time in the library trying to research information about a particular fang that had been turning up with every student's disappearance. Though, they never would have learned the truth without the aid of Harry's invisibility cloak.

"Sure Tenille, but, I'm in the same class as you. Maybe I fell asleep; Professor Bines is a little boring, even if he is a ghost. But I don't remember him giving us that assignment." Leslie replied, feeling a little nervous now that she had extra homework to complete. Tenille shook her head vigorously.

"No, no, no. Professor Bines gave me an extra credit assignment for that class. I'm, er, I'm not doing very well in his class. He gave me the extra assignment so I might have a chance of passing his class." She said, swallowing hard. From the times she had hung Tenille, Leslie had noticed she was a nervous girl, who's head often seemed in the clouds. It was no surprise to her that she wasn't doing well in History of Magic.

"Of course I'll help you Tenille, I'll do my best, anyway. I'll meet you in the library after class today, okay?" Leslie asked with a smile. Tenille nodded her thanks and ran off in the opposite direction. Leslie puckered her brow. _She seems distracted today. She's probably worried about failing Professor Bines class. I can't say I blame her, really._ With a shrug, Leslie turned to run into the castle to meet up with her friends for lunch.

* * *

"Great, Leslie. This is exactly what I need to pass this essay!" Tenille exclaimed as the two girls stared down at a worn out old map of Hogsmeade, with marked roads and alleyways that most people hadn't even heard of. Leslie couldn't help but feel proud of herself for finding it so quickly. Although she knew she couldn't take the full credit.

"Hermione told me I should check the _Magical Geographic Locations_ section first. Once I was there, there were only a few titles on Hogsmeade." Leslie explained, mentally reminding herself to thank Hermione later. Leslie watched as Tenille stared down at the book, as though memorizing the map. The two girls were silent; and Leslie was beginning to wonder why Tenille didn't just check the book out for a week so she could work on her essay in her common room. _Something tells me Tenille isn't like the rest of us._ She thought with a slight giggle. She liked Tenille a lot, but she was rather odd.

"Hi Leslie." Leslie looked up and saw Christopher passing by their table, with an armful of books. Leslie smiled.

"Hi Christopher. How are you?" Leslie asked. Christopher shrugged.

"Alright, just returning some books. I just finished writing a Charms essay for Professor Flitwick." He replied. Leslie nodded.

"Well, I'll see you later Leslie." Christopher smiled nervously at the girls and headed off toward the front desk of the library.

"Who was that?" Tenille asked curiously, as she stared after the young boy.

"Oh, a friend of mine; Christopher Kedavra. He's a first year Gryffindor. I met him the day of the first Quidditch match. I had to bring him to a detention with Professor Wi - um, a detention." Leslie replied, careful not to mention Professor Wizzie's name. The last thing she wanted was to get Tenille angry about Wizzie.

"Kedavra? That name is cursed." Tenille said bluntly. Leslie puckered her brow, feeling very much out of the loop.

"How did you know that?" She wanted to know. Tenille looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Everybody knows that. Haven't you ever heard of the Killing Curse?" She asked. Leslie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that I've heard of it." She said, remembering the first time Christopher told her about the origin of his name. "But it's just a name." Tenille shrugged.

"Yeah, just a name." She replied passively.

"Oh look, it's little miss antisocial, and the Mudblood." Leslie cringed when she heard the familiar voice of Gabrielle. Leslie looked up to see, not only Gabrielle, but also Marisa, staring down at the two girls with crossed arms and nasty smirks.

"Leave us alone." Leslie said through her teeth. Sometimes she wished Hermione were around whenever Gabrielle and Marisa showed up; Hermione was often good at convincing Leslie to calm down, because Leslie often felt that hot monster of rage swelling up in her whenever she was teased by any of the Slytherins, especially Gabrielle and Marisa. Leslie could remember to a time before Hogwarts when her peers teased her for being different, and Leslie had had enough of it. She had vowed upon entering her first year of Hogwarts not to stand for it anymore.

"Or what, Mudblood? You going to get your Potty boyfriend to come hit us with his dinky little broomstick?" Gabrielle asked, as Marisa stifled a nasty giggle. Leslie could feel her muscles tensing, as she swallowed her retort.

"What, nothing to say? I guess that's what happens when you hang around Smythe too long. You become antisocial. It's no wonder you don't have any friends Tenille." Gabrielle said, as she turned to Tenille. Tenille didn't seem to be affected, but Leslie was.

"Leave her alone!" Leslie noticed she was raising her voice, and was trying to mentally will herself to calm down. Her grandmother had told her last year that she could do great things if she put her mind to it. Leslie was trying, but was finding it more and more difficult. _Don't do anything to get yourself into any trouble._

"I'm surprised you even hang around Smythe, Leslie. I would have thought hanging out with your Mudblood sister, Hermione, would have been easier. After all, scum sticks together, doesn't it?" Gabrielle asked with a laugh. That was it! Leslie felt the monster erupting inside, and it flowed throughout her veins. Not only had Gabrielle insulted her, but she also insulted her best friend. Leslie stood up and ripped out her wand, holding it up toward Gabrielle.

"Stop it, Gabrielle." Leslie said, and she could hear gasps filling the library. She could almost sense the eyes of her fellow peers on the scene, but she never dropped her eyes from Gabrielle, who only stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm so scared. Come on, Perks, you wouldn't dare do anything to me. You're too much of a coward for that." Gabrielle taunted as she turned to share a giggle with Marisa. Before Leslie could even control herself, the words had left her mouth.

"_Rictusempra!" _She shouted and watched in shock as Gabrielle flew backwards, crashing violently into a shelf of books. Marisa screamed out over the loud gasps of students, who were now crowding around, encircling both Gabrielle and Leslie. It took a moment for Gabrielle to collect herself and find her balance. She stared at Leslie with dagger eyes and before Leslie had a chance to think, Gabrielle had her wand out.

"_Suspendium._" She shouted, and it felt as though invisible hands had grasped Leslie by the ankles, turning her upside down. Leslie heard the laughter of the students and saw them all pointing at her, as she helplessly hung from her ankles in midair. Leslie could feel her face growing hotter and hotter, as she stared into the satisfied face of Gabrielle.

"_Eximo."_ Leslie muttered as she fell to the ground with a thump. She tried to ignore the laughter that rang through her ears as best she could, but she could feel her anger raging through every cell of her body as she stared at Gabrielle's smug expression. Leslie could almost hear Hermione's pleas. _Leslie, you can stop this before it gets worse. You can just walk away._ Leslie ignored it, and aimed her wand at Gabrielle.

"_Naris abundo!"_ She shouted and she proudly watched as Gabrielle's eyes twitched and crossed. Leslie smiled to herself as Gabrielle's nose began to bend and contort, until finally, it began to expand. Gabrielle began to scream as she turned to Marisa, who already had her wand out.

"Marisa! Do something! Stop this!" Gabrielle shrieked as she pressed down on her nose, which was already growing to be the size of a Quaffle.

"I don't know what to do, Gabbie. I don't know the counter-curse." Marisa desperately replied. Leslie found herself laughing along with her peers as Gabrielle ran around in circles, unsure of what to do with herself. It wasn't long before Gabrielle stared at Leslie with cruel eyes. Gabrielle had forgotten all about her wand, and she dove at Leslie, and the two girls fell to the ground with a thud.

"How dare you!" Gabrielle shouted over and over as she punched at Leslie. Leslie tried to avoid Gabrielle's punches, but was unlucky as a couple hit her square in the nose. "Let's see how you like having a swollen nose!" Leslie managed to push Gabrielle for a moment, but Gabrielle grabbed her ankle. Leslie kicked her ankle hard and could feel it collide with Gabrielle's oversized nose. Gabrielle jumped back and darted toward Leslie once again. As the two girls fell to the ground for a second time, each girl had found handfuls of the other's hair and began to pull, and shriek and yell. Leslie was barely conscious of the fact that her fellow students had stopped laughing, and her anger was fuming inside of her so deeply she hardly noticed someone grabbing her arms and pulling her away from Gabrielle, just as someone else had pulled Gabrielle away. It took a moment for Leslie to find her bearings, but she saw Professor Snape pulling Gabrielle out of the library, and looked up to see Professor Wizzie doing the same to her. Leslie tried to catch her breath as she allowed herself to be taken from the library, away from the watching eyes of her peers. Leslie could feel tears burning in her eyes, angry and ashamed at herself for what she had done, and wondering what had come over her. _I guess I can't do great things._ She thought to herself, knowing she would disappoint her grandmother once again.

Once Professors Snape and Wizzie had Gabrielle and Leslie safely out of the library, Professor Snape took the liberty to speak first.

"Explain yourselves!" He said with his usual tone. Leslie could swear he glared at her with his usual desire to get a Gryffindor student into trouble. _He's determined to get_ _me expelled, I know it._ She thought angrily.

Neither one of the girls said a word; they only glared at each other spitefully, as Gabrielle's nose was still growing to an abnormal size.

"Nothing to say, then? Well then, the both of you, to my office, right now. I'll deal with you there." Professor Snape said as his lip seemed to curl up into something of a grin. Leslie sighed to herself. She had been lucky to get herself out of trouble at the beginning of the year when she had broken the law; she didn't know she would be so lucky this time. _I might as well pack my trunk._

"Severus, why don't you deal with young Gabrielle, seeing she is in your house, but I will deal with Leslie accordingly. I think it is best to keep these girls apart right now." Professor Wizzie pointed out as she stared at Professor Snape with raised eyebrows.

"Daisy, I think it would be more wise for me to deal with the two of them." Snape replied, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Come, come Severus. I may be a new teacher here, but I know how to dole out discipline, as you've already seen this year. Don't argue with me now; I know what I am doing." Wizzie said, her voice rising slightly. Leslie looked from Snape to Wizzie during their locked stare of silence, and she swallowed hard. _I'm doomed._

"Very well." Snape glared at Leslie a final time before he turned and motioned for Gabrielle to follow. Gabrielle did, but not before giving a rude hand gesture to Leslie. Leslie could feel herself tensing with anger, but she waited for Professor Wizzie to speak, which she didn't do until Professor Snape and Gabrielle were out of earshot.

"Well then Leslie, what happened?" Wizzie asked. Leslie was surprised she didn't sound angry or confrontational; just concerned. Leslie no longer felt she was in trouble; she felt she could trust Wizzie, and soon, Leslie was explaining everything, holding nothing back.

"It's not fair! I've never done anything to her. Just because my parents weren't magical! Why should that make any difference? It's so stupid! They're dead now anyway! Why does she have to keep reminding me? I hate her! I hate her and Marisa and Draco and all of the Slytherins who think they're better than us just because they have rich families or pure blood lines! I hate being teased!" Leslie was shaking with anger as she stubbornly held back her tears. She stared down at the ground with her arms crossed, waiting for Professor Wizzie to give her a detention.

"I understand Leslie. I was teased a lot in school myself. Besides, that Gabrielle is quite a nasty thing, isn't she? I'm sure she got what she deserved." Wizzie said. Leslie looked up in surprise as Professor Wizzie winked.

"Aren't...aren't you going to give me a detention?" Leslie asked. She was surprised when Professor Wizzie shook her head. Leslie felt relieved, but felt there must be a catch somewhere. Then she clued in, and swallowed hard.

"Are you going to tell my...er...Professor McGonagall?" Leslie asked, feeling that would be worse than any detention. Professor Wizzie puckered her brow.

"Why would I have to tell Professor McGonagall?" She wanted to know. Leslie mentally slapped herself; she had forgotten the only people who knew about Professor McGonagall being her grandmother were her three friends.

"Well, she is the head of Gryffindor." Leslie pointed out quickly. Professor Wizzie only shrugged.

"Yes, well, I don't see any need to bother her with anything silly like this. Only do me a favour Leslie. The next time Gabrielle, or anybody else makes you that angry, do your best to walk away. Take a walk in the courtyard, hang out with your friends, come talk to me, whatever you need to do. The next time you get caught, you might be so lucky. It might be Professor Snape who catches you, and I might not be there to help you." She said. Leslie nodded. Professor Wizzie smiled.

"I will forget this ever happened, but will you do me another favour? If anybody else asks, especially Professor Snape, I gave you a detention in the Owrly, alright? After all, those are my specialty." She winked once again, and left Leslie in the hall. Leslie smiled to herself, and couldn't believe she had managed to get out of another detention. _And best of all, my grandmother doesn't even have to know._ She thought as she skipped toward the Gryffindor common room.


	11. Disaster at the Granger's

The next couple of weeks had seemed to drag on, but the students at Hogwarts had finally made it to their Christmas holiday. Leslie stood outside shivering and she tightened her scarf as the snowy wind chilled her to the bone. She wasn't the only one; Harry, Hermione and Ron all stood with their hands stuffed inside their robes to try to stay warm.

"Where are the carriages? What could they possibly be doing that's taking them so long?" Ron asked bitterly as his nose was turning almost as red as his hair. The boys had offered to wait with Leslie and Hermione for the carriages that would take them to the Hogsmeade train station. Harry and Ron would be spending their holiday with Ron's family and would be travelling by Floo Powder later that afternoon.

Leslie tried hard to ignore the bruise on her face that Gabrielle had put there two weeks ago that was still throbbing, and it felt especially worse under the influence of the chill. She could feel Hermione's disapproving stare as they waited for the carriages. Leslie had told Harry, Ron and Hermione all about her encounter with Gabrielle and Marisa in the library, but it hadn't been long before word travelled to each of the four houses, and every student knew. Leslie was still lucky, however, to discover that Professor McGonagall still had no idea; despite the fact that it was still fresh gossip to the students.

Hermione sighed.

"Leslie, I still think you should've gone to Madame Pomfrey for that." She said as she stared at Leslie. Leslie returned her gaze.

"It's just a bruise, Hermione. It will go away on its own." She said. Hermione didn't say any more than that, but Leslie knew exactly what she was thinking. Hermione had already told her about her opinion that she should tell her grandmother what had happened in the library before the rumours made their way to her themselves. Leslie felt more comfortable pressing her luck. Besides, she was going to Hermione's house for the Christmas holidays; there was nothing she could do now, but enjoy her holidays at the Grangers.

"Finally, here they come!" Harry exclaimed as he pointed ahead where a group of carriages were being led by invisible beings toward the castle. Hermione and Leslie turned to Ron and Harry.

"Have a great holiday, and do be careful of what you drink." Hermione said as she hugged Harry, and awkwardly shook Ron's hand. Over the last few weeks, there had been more reports of deaths in Hogsmeade, who had been supposedly poisoned. It was causing a great fear in witches and wizards everywhere. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Leslie were all happy to be going home for their holidays, but couldn't hide the fear that their safety within Hogwarts walls would not protect them for the next two weeks.

"You too. We'll see you in two weeks." Harry said with a weak smile. Leslie threw her arms around both Ron and Harry and turned to leave with Hermione. As the carriages pulled away from the castle, leaving Ron and Harry behind, Leslie hoped to herself that her two friends would still be there when they returned from holidays.

* * *

"Mum, dad!" Hermione cried out as she ran into her parents arms at King's Cross hours later. The Hogwarts Express had just stopped in London and the girls had passed through Platform 9 3/4 to find the Grangers waiting for them. Leslie couldn't help but feel immediately awkward. Ever since she had left the Granger's house in the middle of the night to rescue Harry without permission, she had felt guilty for what she had done. She loved the Grangers greatly, and hated that she worried them so.

Leslie stood next to her suitcase as Mr. and Mrs. Granger kissed Hermione. She watched nervously as Mrs. Granger approached her with a smile. Leslie smiled weakly.

"Did you have a good trip, sweetheart?" She asked as she leaned down to give Leslie a hug and a kiss. Leslie felt relieved; Mrs. Granger didn't seem upset at all. Leslie smiled as she followed the Grangers to their car, relieved that it wouldn't be an awkward holiday.

* * *

"Leslie, that's a really nasty bruise you've got there." Mrs. Granger noticed that evening at dinner, as she lifted Leslie's chin up to get a better look. Leslie swallowed hard, looking over to see Hermione glaring at her. _If I tell them what really happened_, _they might tell my grandmother._

"Yeah, I wasn't watching where I was going, and I bumped into something hard." Leslie said, feeling it was only a half-lie. _Gabrielle's fist is hard._

"Well, you should put some ice on it." Mrs. Granger said as she took Leslie's empty plate into the kitchen. Hermione and Leslie stared at each other, and Leslie knew what she was thinking.

"I know, Hermione. I don't want to lie to your mother, and I especially don't like lying to my grandmother, but McGonagall is still sour about the broomstick episode, and I told her I would stay out of trouble. If she knew I got into a fight with Gabrielle, she'd be so disappointed in me. It's bad enough she's still upset about rescuing Harry; I couldn't handle it if I let her down again." Leslie explained in a quiet whisper. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I know, Leslie; I understand. I just wish you felt you could be honest with McGonagall. I know she's a little harsh, but she is your family now, and you're her granddaughter. I don't think there's anything you could do to disappoint her too greatly." She said. Leslie sighed and nodded, unsure of what to believe. She was still getting to know her grandmother. Most of what she knew about Professor McGonagall was in her teaching technique, which was strict and bold. Stronger than that was the strong desire to make her grandmother proud. She was the only family she had left, and the last thing she wanted to do was risk that relationship. Leslie caught Hermione's eye again just as Hermione gave her a reassuring smile. Leslie returned it, thankful that Hermione was her best friend.

"So girls, we want you to tell us everything you know about these poisonings going on in the wizarding world." Mr. Granger said, as he and Mrs. Granger returned from the kitchen with bowls of ice cream for dessert. Leslie and Hermione exchanged glances. They had heard so much about it through the Daily Prophet and throughout the hallways at Hogwarts that they had hoped for a couple of weeks without hearing about it, but they both knew that the Grangers were concerned.

"We know probably just about as much as you do. Just what's in the Daily Prophet, which we've been reading everyday." Hermione pointed out, as she took a spoonful of chocolate ice cream.

"So far, there's only been a few deaths, but they all seem to be related to the same cause. Poisoned drinks, but nobody knows anything about the poison yet." Leslie added.

"It kills me to have you so far from home when all these killings are going on, Hermione." Mrs. Granger said as she tugged nervously at her hair. "You as well, Leslie. I am scared to bits of receiving an owl with news that you've been-"

"That isn't going to happen, mum. Hogwarts is the safest place for us; in fact, it's probably more safe for us to be at Hogwarts than here at home. Dumbledore is the most clever wizard there ever was. The security placed on that castle is top notch. I've read all about it in _Hogwarts: A History_." Hermione said in her usual tone. Leslie rolled her eyes as she busied herself with her ice cream.

"What types of security measures are we talking about here? Tell me everything." Mr. Granger said, and thus began Hermione's verbatim descriptions from _Hogwarts: A History_ about the security placed upon Hogwarts. Leslie felt bored right away. She had never been interested in history. She didn't care what sorts of security measures were protecting Hogwarts; it was enough to know she was safe.

* * *

Leslie and Hermione tumbled down the stairs in their pajamas early Christmas morning, eager to get to their presents. They had sent gifts to the Burrow the previous evening for Ron and Harry to get by morning, but both girls were more excited to find out what was waiting for them under the tree.

The girls were surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Granger already waiting for Hermione and Leslie on the sofa, Mr. Granger with a video camera in hand.

"Good morning girls. Happy Christmas." Mrs. Granger grinned as she gave both girls a big hug. "Well, go on then. I know you're excited, so have at it." Hermione and Leslie giggled as they threw themselves on the ground, reaching for their brightly coloured gifts residing under the tree.

Leslie opened her first gift, which was from Ron. It was a Chocolate Frog. Leslie smiled; Ron didn't have a lot of money, but he still managed to scrounge up enough money to send Leslie her favourite sweets.

Her second gift was from Harry. It was a pair of Chaser gloves and a piece of parchment that read, "Good for one free flying lesson. Hope to see you on the team next year, Harry." Leslie smiled again at the concept of becoming a Gryffindor Chaser in her third year. She would definitely take Harry up on his offer to help her train.

Hermione's gift to her was an _Invisus _journal that was enchanted so whatever was written within the pages could only be seen by the receiver of the gift, and the giver of the gift.

"Well, the boys _are_ nosy, after all. At least this way, we can have some secrets." Hermione had explained. It was Leslie's favourite gift.

The Grangers had given her a photo album for her to place her favourite pictures in, and her last gift was from Professor McGonagall. When she had torn open the parcel, she had found a plain black skirt, with a note that said, "Happy Christmas Leslie. I thought it would be wise to give you a gift that would not get you into trouble. Sincerely, Professor McGonagall."

Leslie sighed as she let Hermione read the note. Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I expect she's still sour about the broomstick incident. Maybe I should just give it back to her." Leslie said bitterly as she stared at the skirt. Hermione shook her head.

"I'm sure that won't solve anything. She gave you that broomstick as a gift, and I know she won't want it back. Just give her time; she's just not used to being a grandmother, you know. She'll come around." She said. Leslie cheered up a little as she and Hermione began writing notes back and forth in the _Invisus_, and giggling quietly when the Grangers couldn't understand what was so great about a blank book.

* * *

While they were all seated at the kitchen table having breakfast, and talking about all the great gifts they had received, Mrs. Granger spoke up.

"Girls, I have to talk to you." Mrs. Granger waited until Hermione and Leslie were done talking before she continued. "Hermione, you know our neighbour, Mrs. Lowe?"

"Yes, the one across the street." Hermione replied.

"Yes, well, we have invited her over for Christmas dinner tonight, because she has no family, as you know, and we didn't want her to be alone on Christmas. So you know what that means, right girls? No magic." Mrs. Granger said with raised eyebrows.

"Trust me, Mrs. Granger. I've learned my lesson about doing magic outside of Hogwarts." Leslie said with wide eyes.

"Besides mum, we're not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts. You know you have nothing to worry about." Hermione added.

"Yes, but you can still talk about magic, and I want none of that tonight. I don't want to frighten Mrs. Lowe. So tonight, I want you two to be, er, Muddles, alright?" Mrs. Granger asked. Leslie and Hermione agreed, and laughed secretly at Mrs. Granger's mispronunciation of Muggles.

* * *

"So, you girls have had a good term I expect?" Mrs. Lowe asked later that evening as they were just beginning to have their turkey dinner. Leslie liked Mrs. Lowe from the moment she met her. She was a kindly old woman with just a tinge of gray hair, and really thick-rimmed glasses that emphasized her bold blue eyes. She was only a little taller than Hermione and Leslie, and her smile was enough to light up a room. It saddened Leslie to think this woman had no family.

"Yes, it was wonderful, thank you for asking, Mrs. Lowe." Hermione said as she had a helping of mashed potatoes.

"And what about you, Leslie? Are you enjoying school?" Mrs. Lowe asked as she winked at Leslie. Leslie smiled.

"Oh yes, it's loads of fun." She replied. Leslie had had experiences in her youth of old ladies and the boredom that usually came along with them, but Mrs. Lowe was different. She was so full of stories of all the trips she had taken in her lifetime, and the adventures she had along with them. She had lived an exciting life, and shared some of it with the girls over dinner. She shared about the time she went bungee jumping over the Thames, or rode a camel through the Sahara Desert, or climbed Mount Everest.

"Well, half of it anyway. I could have made it the rest of the way, but a mountain goat wouldn't let me pass. I figured I'd let him have it his way, you know." Mrs. Lowe laughed, and Hermione and Leslie laughed with her. She was so much fun, and Leslie was enjoying every moment spent with her.

"Mrs. Lowe, would you like a coffee to go with your dessert?" Mrs. Granger asked after everybody's plates had been cleared. Mrs. Lowe shook her head as she waved her hand.

"No thank you, my dear. Coffee has always been one to keep me awake for hours, and I'm not one to miss any of my beauty sleep. It's very important for a lady to get her beauty sleep, especially when you get to be as old as I am. You need all the help you can get." Hermione and Leslie laughed with Mrs. Lowe. "If you don't mind, Mrs. Granger, I'll just have a bottle of water." Hermione and Leslie continued to chat with Mrs. Lowe as Mrs. Granger handed Mrs. Lowe a water bottle from the refrigerator.

"Thank you, my dear." Mrs. Lowe unscrewed the cap and took a long sip and smacked her lips. "Delicious. Now girls, have I told you the story about when I-" Mrs. Lowe stopped mid-sentence as she stared straight ahead. Leslie puckered her brow; it looked as though Mrs. Lowe had spotted a ghost.

"Mrs. Lowe? Are you alright?" Leslie asked, eager to hear the rest of Mrs. Lowe's fabulous story. There was no response from Mrs. Lowe.

"Mrs. Lowe?" Hermione asked as she put her hand on the elder's shoulder, and as soon as she had, Mrs. Lowe fell to the ground loudly, as stiff as a board. Leslie screamed out as her and Hermione jumped from their seats. Mr. and Mrs. Granger ran into the dining room to find Mrs. Lowe on the ground, not moving or responding. Mr. Granger fell to the ground to help, as Hermione and Leslie backed away, feeling frightened.

"Girls, what happened?" Mrs. Granger frantically asked. Leslie couldn't find any words to speak; it had happened so suddenly.

"We were just talking to Mrs. Lowe, when she took a sip of her water, and..." Hermione stared at Leslie, and then at her mum. The water. _Oh no, not here in London._ Leslie was terrified to think whatever was killing witches and wizards in Hogsmeade could now be killing Muggles.

Leslie was barely aware of Mrs. Granger darting from the room to call an ambulance. Leslie felt tears stinging her eyes as she stared down at Mrs. Lowe, already knowing the inevitable truth. Mrs. Lowe was dead.

* * *

Hermione and Leslie huddled close by the front window as they watched the paramedics wheeling Mrs. Lowe's dead body from the house, covering her face with the sheets. Both Hermione and Leslie were silently crying as they recalled the horrific scene. Both knew what the other was thinking; it could have been any one of them who had taken a sip from that bottle of water. _Are we going to be safe anywhere other than Hogwarts?_ Leslie wondered to herself as the ambulance drove away, red flashing lights reflecting in the glistening eyes of Hermione and Leslie. Neither moved; they only stared out into the night, deep in their own thoughts and fears. They barely noticed when Mr. and Mrs. Granger came speeding down the stairs.

"Come on girls, let's go." Hermione and Leslie turned around to see Mr. and Mrs. Granger dropping two suitcases to the floor. The girls exchanged glances and then looked back at the Grangers.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked curiously.

"You're not safe here, girls. You're right, the only place you'll be safe is at Hogwarts, and we're sending you back, tonight. There's a train leaving for Hogwarts at 9:00p.m. I know it's late, and I know that means you'll be travelling all night long, but you have got to get back to that castle. I won't risk your lives by keeping you here for holidays." Mrs. Granger said, nearly on the verge of tears. Leslie felt somewhat relieved, happy to be going home to Hogwarts, but not wanting to leave the Grangers in danger either. Hermione felt the same way, and voiced it strongly.

"No! I can't leave you here where it's dangerous! How do I know you won't be next?" Hermione asked, with tears still in her eyes; new ones forming. Mrs. Granger bent down to hug her daughter.

"I know you're scared; so are we, but we will send owls everyday to let you know we are still here. I want you girls to do the same. I know Hogwarts is the safest place for you to be, but I still want to hear from you everyday, do you understand?" She asked, looking at both girls now. Leslie looked away, still hurt and confused. She had just watched a wonderful woman die unexpectedly because something, or someone had poisoned her drink.

"I understand, mum. Please promise it will be everyday." Hermione pleaded. Mrs. Granger nodded her promise and gave Hermione another hug. Leslie was staring out the window again, wondering if they would really be safe, even at Hogwarts. If the poison could get into the Muggle world, what was keeping it from Hogwarts? She felt warm hands on her shoulder as Mrs. Granger leaned in close.

"Come on sweetheart, we have to go." She said quietly. Leslie swallowed her tears and nodded. She took Mrs. Granger's offered hand and allowed Mrs. Granger to lead her out to their car. Mr. Granger carried out their suitcases, and as the four piled into the car, Leslie couldn't help but wonder who was really behind all of this, or worse, if they could be stopped.


	12. The Venom of Trog

January had passed quickly, and it was well into February when the snow was still falling around the castle grounds. There had still been no news about Mrs. Lowe in the Daily Prophet, though Dumbledore had assured his students when they had returned to Hogwarts the first week of January that the Ministry was investigating the unexpected death of Mrs. Lowe thoroughly and would release information when it became available. Harry and Ron had been thoroughly shocked when Hermione and Leslie told them all about their Christmas dinner tragedy, and how they had to spend the remainder of their Christmas holidays at the castle. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had kept their promise to the girls and had sent an owl to the castle daily to assure them of their safety, and Hermione had done the same. Still, Leslie wished the Ministry would figure out what was going on; maybe something that would help keep them safe. _After all, if they can figure out what's causing it, perhaps they can figure out a way to stop it._ She reasoned.

* * *

The foursome were on their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts Wednesday morning, all in a particularly depressed mood. It was dark and stormy outdoors, and none of them could deny their pressing feelings of fear. Since Mrs. Lowe, there had been reports of more killings, but not many of them had been publicized as openly as the first few had. Leslie guessed the Ministry was trying to keep it as hushed as possible, to create less of a panic.

"Do you think they'll find anything? You know, in their investigation on Mrs. Lowe?" Harry asked, as they turned a corner.

"I do hope so. Mrs. Lowe was such a kind lady. She's been my neighbour for years. I hope they find the dirty culprit!" Hermione snapped, feeling quite angry at the unfairness of it all.

"I'm just glad we're all safe here at Hogwarts." Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, but for how long? If it could get into the Muggle world, who's to say it won't make it's way to Hogwarts?" Leslie demanded. Nobody seemed to have an answer, so the four friends continued to trudge toward their Defence Against the Dark Arts class in silence.

When they arrived, Leslie decided to stop by Tenille's desk. Tenille had been rather quiet the past few weeks, and Leslie was curious as to why.

"Hello Tenille." Leslie greeted. Tenille jumped slightly and then smiled weakly.

"Oh, hi Leslie." She said. Her voice sounded raspy; as though she were coming down with something.

"You alright, Tenille? You've been, I dunno, quiet lately. Are you ill?" Leslie asked, as she took a seat next to Tenille. Tenille shrugged.

"Perhaps," She paused. "Actually, I've been quite tired lately. I'm still doing terribly in History of Magic class, and my dad wants me to excel in that class. He's a historian, you know, researching for the Ministry. I've been doing loads of homework and extra credit assignments for Professor Bines every night, and I guess I'm not getting much sleep. That's all." Tenille explained, as she pulled a quill from her bag. Leslie puckered her brow.

"If you need help, Tenille, all you have to do is ask. I could help you." She offered, as she noticed Professor Wizengamut enter the room.

"Thanks Leslie, but I don't think that would help. It's just something I'll have to do on my own." Tenille replied, and that was all. Leslie sighed, and joined her friends at the front of the classroom, hoping Tenille would be alright.

* * *

"Unfortunately, ladies and gentlement, my lesson today will not require a volunteer." Wizzie said regretfully, as she ignored the relieved sighs echo off the walls. "What I want to teach you today is regarding a curse that is illegal to perform, hence my reasoning to excuse you today. It is known as one of the three unforgiveable curses." Leslie's interest was immediately peaked, as she thought of Christopher Kedavra. _Is Wizzie going to teach us about the Killing Curse?_

"Dumbledore believes you lot are too young to be taught of the three unforgiveable curses, which is why I am only going to teach you about one. I am going to teach you about the Imperius Curse." Wizzie said with raised eyebrows. Leslie looked around and noticed some of the students had already heard of the Imperius Curse. Leslie, however, had never heard of it, and was interested to learn about it.

"Now, you understand I have been trying to teach about things that don't always seem to be what they appear to be. That has been my goal, and the Imperius Curse is the perfect example of things not appearing as they seem." Professor Wizzie leaned forward, and her voice rose an octave; almost like she was speaking from fear. "The Imperius Curse was performed a lot during the days of You-Know-Who. His followers, his Death Eaters, performed this curse on innocent victims, and used them for their own evil means. You see, children, whoever casts the Imperius Curse can control their victims by all means. Anybody could be under the Imperius Curse, and we would be none the wiser, if the caster has done his or her research. People have been murdered by people they thought they could trust; their husbands and wives, who were controlled by the Imperius Curse. You see, boys and girls? _Anybody_ could be under the Imperius Curse. It makes you truly wonder who you can trust, doesn't it?" Wizzie asked in the low whisper she often used to frighten her students. Leslie swallowed hard. _Whizbees! She's right. That's a frightening thought._

"However, there are ways to tell if somebody is under the Imperius Curse. There are some things between friends that nobody else could know; you know, secrets, past memories, bonds that go deeper than any curse. If you truly know a person, and I mean _truly_ know a person, there's no doubt you'd be able to discern whether or not they're under the curse." Wizzie cracked a small smile. "Not to worry, though. As I said, the Imperius Curse is rarely seen these days. It's just always important to keep your guard up. Remember, things aren't always as they seem."

* * *

For the rest of the class, Professor Wizengamut had her class read chapter 14 of _The Darker Light Side of the Dark Arts_ on the Imperius Curse, and write a chapter summary. By the time Harry, Leslie, Hermione and Ron had left their last class of the day, the storm clouds had cleared a little, and the sun was beating down on the courtyard as the four made their way up to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione darted straight to her copy of the Daily Prophet, which had been left on one of the tables by a messenger owl who had just dropped it off. Leslie, Harry and Ron crowded around Hermione, as they had been doing for the last few weeks, hoping for any kind of lead on Mrs. Lowe, or any of the other deaths. For the most part, they had been disappointed each time, but today was different. Leslie's heart skipped a beat when the front page sported a photograph of Mrs. Lowe. Leslie felt her eyes welling up with tears as she stared at the woman's bright smile.

"They found something! Finally!" Harry exclaimed, as the four leaned in to have a read of the article.

MUGGLE FOUND DEAD: MINISTRY INVESTIGATION COMPLETE!

Over the Christmas holidays, Ms. Kathleen Lowe, a Muggle from London,

England, was found dead at the house of a Hogwart's student, who's

name has not been released. Her death was thought to be related to

other recent deaths within Hogsmeade. The Ministry has just informed

the Daily Prophet of its findings in the investigation. The deaths are indeed

related. The deaths of witches and wizards alike, as well as Lowe, have

all been related to a deadly substance, which has been finding its way

into the beverages of innocent people. The Ministry has discovered

what the substance is. It is a poison known as Venom of Trog. The

Ministry has given no description of what this poison is, but they strongly

advise the public to remain cautious of what they drink, until the Ministry

can obtain more information.

"The Venom of Trog?" Harry asked, as he, Ron and Leslie turned toward Hermione for an explanation, but even Hermione was stumped.

"I've never even heard of it. I'm surprised the Ministry doesn't have any information on it, either." She said as she leaned back in an armchair, breathing out a sigh.

"Why don't we head down the library and look it up? I want to know everything about what's killing these innocent people. If we can figure out what it is, maybe we'll know how to look for it, or how to stop it." Leslie said, still seeing Mrs. Lowe's lovely smile in her mind. She pushed the image away, as Harry nodded.

"I think that's a good idea, but I think the poison is being _put_ into these drinks. Someone has gotten their hands on this poison, and is using it to kill people." He pointed out. Even though the four knew this was true, they still wanted more information, and they headed toward the library without a single word.

* * *

"Looks like there's no place to sit." Ron pointed out as he carried a heavy, red book under his arm, scanning the library.

"Probably for the best. I don't want anybody to bother us." Leslie said, wanting nothing more than to discover the truth, without any distractions.

"Well, shall we go back up to the common room then?" Hermione asked.

"I've got an idea. Why don't we head over to Hagrid's? It will be quiet, and besides, we haven't had a chance to visit with Hagrid much this year so far. And if anybody knows about the Venom of Trog, it'll be Hagrid." Harry pointed out proudly. He was right; Hagrid, the games keeper at Hogwarts, had a strange interest in magical creatures. He was known for raising creatures that seemed to be the most dangerous, but never in Hagrid's eyes.

"That's a brilliant idea, Harry." Leslie said, and started toward the door, as the others followed close behind.

* * *

"It's so great yeh've all come to visit me, yeh know. I was beginnin' to think the lot of yeh had forgotten me." Hagrid said as he poured tea into teacups the size of Leslie's head. Hagrid was, after all, a very large man.

"We haven't forgotten about you, Hagrid. We've just been busy." Hermione said as she took a sip of her tea, careful to hold the teacup with both hands. Leslie leaned over to the boys, who had already opened the book entitled _The Magical Creatures Dictionary_, and were scanning the index for any sign of Trog.

"What are yeh lookin' at Harry? Oh boy, I remember that ol' book. I took it out nearly every week when I was a student meself." Hagrid said as he took a seat next to Hermione. Harry and Leslie exchanged glances, not surprised in the least at Hagrid's choice of library books.

"In that case, Hagrid, maybe you can help us." Hermione said. "Do you know anything about the Venom of Trog?" Hagrid's bushy eyebrows lifted, and after a moment, he let out a long sigh.

"I should've known the lot of yeh wouldn't leave things to the Ministry. Yeh've always been the type to go lookin' for answers yerselves. Well, I can guarantee yeh won't find anything about Trogs in that there book. Trogs don't exist anymore." Hagrid explained. Ron closed the book loudly, the way he did when he was growing impatient.

"Enlighten me then, Hagrid, how is the Venom of Trog getting around Hogsmeade, and into the Muggle world, if it doesn't even exist?" He asked, crossing his arms. Leslie was just as eager to learn the answer as Ron was, and she leaned forward.

"What yeh have to understand about that is, just because Trogs don't exist anymore, the Venom still does. It's very rare, but there are some wizards and witches who still have some of the Venom." Hagrid explained in a hushed voice.

"What is a Trog anyway, Hagrid? Why is the Venom killing everybody?" Hermione asked. Leslie was surprised in spite of herself; Hermione didn't know something for once.

"Nobody was really sure what a Trog was. It's something like a mix between a dragon and a snake. Trogs were very rare in their day, and they eventually died off and became extinct. But the Venom is known to be the deadliest of all venoms, and all poisons. It's a good way to kill people, because of its nature. The Venom doesn't smell like nuttin, or taste like nuttin, so it can be put into drinks without anyone knowin' any differently. Venom of Trog kills people right away, if the right amount is given to the person. Whoever is puttin' this Venom in drinks sure knows a lot about Trog's Venom." Hagrid explained. Leslie's eyes widened as she stared at Harry. She swallowed hard.

"But, can't it be cured? I mean, we've learned in Potions class about antidotes. Isn't there an antidote for the Venom of Trog?" She asked, hoping she would find an answer to all of the killings.

"No Leslie, there isn't. I wish there was, because if someone took only a small sip of the Venom, there'd still be a chance yeh'd live, if there were an antidote, but there ain't." Hagrid said sadly. Leslie slammed her fist down on Hagrid's large table angrily; they hadn't learned anything useful. What had they learned that was new? _We already knew it kills instantly. I saw Mrs. Lowe die!_ She fought back the tears as she stared into her teacup. Was there any hope of saving innocent lives, or would the Venom of Trog continue to claim more lives? _I won't let it! I have to find out who's doing this before I'm next, or worse, my friends._


	13. What Tenille Saw

By the time May rolled its way around, there had been so many reports of deaths within Hogsmeade, and more within the Muggle world that the students at Hogwarts were beginning to lose track. The weather hadn't been helpful either; it had been raining for weeks now, adding a more depressing atmosphere to the castle. The Ministry still hadn't been successful in tracking down the brewers of the Venom of Trog, and it had leaked within the Daily Prophet that there had been no leads in any direction. It seemed hopeless.

Leslie was feeling particularly hopeless that Friday afternoon as she stared out the window at the downpour, sighing at the empty sky. They still hadn't received their daily owl from the Grangers to confirm their safety, which had been something the girls had looked forward to daily. Ron had already received his daily owl from his family, and had sent his response promptly, but as Leslie stared out the window after classes that Friday, she wondered if something had happened to the Grangers. She decided not to verbalize her fears though; she didn't want to frighten Hermione, who was nervously biting away at her fingernails, staring at the same sky as Leslie. The boys were in a meeting with Professor McGonagall to discuss their grades thus far, and to brainstorm techniques to help them pass their final examination. Leslie and Hermione were alone in the common room that afternoon; a surprising sight, considering the dreadful weather. Leslie guessed the students were where they had been every other day; in the library trying to research the Venom of Trog. Leslie didn't have the heart to tell anybody that there was no known research in Hogwarts library about the venom, so she stayed in the Gryffindor common room, tugging nervously at her pigtails, as she scanned the skies once more. All she saw were gloomy clouds moving quickly across the sky. She sighed out loud, as she pulled her robe off.

"How do you think the venom got into the Muggle world anyway? I mean, whoever is doing this obviously doesn't care about breaking Magical rules. You're not supposed to bring any kind of magical potion into the Muggle world." Hermione pointed out as she turned in her chair to look at Leslie. Leslie rolled her eyes.

"Whoever is doing this doesn't care about the law. Muggle world, or Magical world, the last time I checked, it's still against the law to _kill_ somebody!" She said angrily as she narrowed her eyes. Hermione sighed loudly.

"You're right! I just keep thinking about Mrs. Lowe." She said quietly. Leslie looked at her best friend sympathetically, and nodded.

"I know. I do too. I keep having nightmares about her, and about whoever is doing this. I just keep thinking about it coming to Hogwarts. I know there's supposed to be all this security, but if the killer can get into the Muggle world undetected, who's to say he can't somehow find a way into Hogwarts?" Leslie pointed out. Hermione shrugged.

"Don't you think if that were true, it would have happened by now? I mean, Hogwarts is one of the largest establishments in the Magical world. I would have thought we would have been a prime target, but it passed us completely. I honestly don't-"

"Hermione! Look!" Leslie jumped up when she saw that familiar snow owl fluttering toward the window. It was Hedwig; Harry had let the girls use her to communicate between the Grangers and themselves.

"Hedwig!" Leslie cried out as Hedwig perched herself on Leslie's arm, offering a small piece of paper to Hermione. Hermione accepted it with a smile, as Leslie patted Hedwig on the head, and placed her down on the windowsill, turning to Hermione, who had already begun to rip open the piece of paper. Hermione read out loud.

_Dearest Hermione and Leslie,_

_Once again, we send a note of safety. Everything is fine here. We miss you both very much, and were very glad when Hedwig arrived with your letter of safety. Please continue to stay safe, and don't drink anything outside of Hogwarts. We love you very much, and we will continue to hope for your safety until this killer is caught._

_Love mum and dad (Mr. and Mrs. Granger)_

Leslie and Hermione didn't have to say anything; they both knew that the other was feeling the same thing. Relief - enough to get them through another day.

"I can't believe how long it's taking Harry and Ron. I mean, what could Professor McGonagall possibly be telling them?" Hermione wanted to know as she looked at her wristwatch. Leslie sighed.

"She's probably lecturing them. You know she doesn't tolerate low marks." She pointed out. "Still, I'd better go look for them. They'll be late for dinner; maybe my grandmother lost track of time." Leslie stood to leave, grabbing her cloak as she headed out of the portrait of the Fat Lady, heading down a corridor toward Professor McGonagall's classroom. She couldn't help but feel nervous as she treaded down the hallway, alone, when there was a killer on the loose. _Why should I be nervous? I'm safe at Hogwarts. Everything is fine._ Still, she found herself looking over her shoulder every few moments.

She turned a corner, and bumped right into somebody. Leslie almost screamed out loud, and was relieved to see it was only Tenille. Leslie smiled to herself, but noticed the look of pure terror spread across Tenille's pale face.

"Tenille, what's the matter? Are you alright?" Leslie asked, as she looked around nervously, half expecting to see the murderer within these walls. Tenille caught her breath, as her wide eyes shifted nervously, and she finally shook her head.

"I'm not sure I can tell you Leslie." She confided, as she peered anxiously over her shoulder. Leslie puckered her brow.

"Why not? What's going on Tenille? You're scaring me." She said, feeling her heart race faster. _Did she see something? Does she know something? What's going on?_

"I don't know Leslie. I...I wish I had never seen it." Tenille said as she swallowed hard, brushing one of her red braids to the side.

"What? Seen what? Tenille, tell me. Maybe I can help." Leslie said, as she wondered what could have scared Tenille so.

Tenille hesitated, looking over her shoulder every few seconds or so, still trying to catch her breath. She stared at Leslie, and Leslie knew something had really frightened the girl. Her face was streaked with pure terror. What had she seen?

"Alright, I'll tell you. It...it was in Professor Snape's office. It was...it was..." Tenille swallowed hard, as her eyes widened again.

"What, Tenille? What did you see in Professor Snape's office?" Leslie was feeling more and more nervous herself. What could have scared Tenille so badly?

"I've...I've already said too much! I'm sorry Leslie, I've got to go!" Without another word, Tenille ran past Leslie.

"Tenille, wait!" Leslie called, but Tenille had already rounded a corner. Leslie sighed to herself, and crossed her arms.

"Snape's office? Why doesn't that surprise me?" She said to herself, and she headed toward the dungeons, where Professor Snape's office resided. She couldn't help but feel nervous as she tiptoed her way toward his office. For as long as she had known Tenille, she had known her to be a very jumpy, and frightened girl, but her expression that day was different. _She was absolutely terrified. What could have possibly happened?_ Leslie wondered as she quietly turned the corner that led to Snape's office.

She noticed the door was half open, and she nervously stuck her head through the crack of the door, and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Backs facing Leslie, Professors Snape and Wizzie were huddled around a black cauldron. Professor Snape was pouring a transparent liquid into the brew, as Professor Wizzie raised her wand.

"_Adsero, spiro, salus, novo, Trog_." She muttered as purple sparks flew from her wand, landing in the cauldron, causing sparks to set off. Leslie's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands to silence the gasp that had escaped. _Trog? Oh my gosh! They can't be! They can't be making...the Venom of Trog? _She felt sick to her stomach. _It's been in Hogwarts all along! It's just a matter of time. _She watched with wide eyes, as Professor Snape replaced the cap on his potion vile, and Professor Wizzie turned to look at him.

"What is it, Sevvie?" Professor Wizzie asked. Snape sniffed as he placed the vile down on his desk.

"Do you hear something?" He asked. Leslie backed up slowly, and fled down the hall, finding a large statue to hide herself behind. She could hear Snape's footsteps emerging from his office, and heading in her direction. She kept her hand over her mouth, so he wouldn't hear her breathing. _If he finds me, he'll make me drink..._ She swallowed hard, not allowing herself to think things like that. Snape's footsteps were getting closer, and Leslie closed her eyes tightly, fearing the outcome of her mistake for coming down here in the first place.

"Sevvie, come back love. We have to finish this. We don't have much time, you know." Leslie could hear Professor Wizzie shouting from Snape's office. Leslie's heart was hammering against her chest, as she waited, hearing nothing but silence. After what seemed like ages, Snape's footsteps died down; he was heading back to his office. Leslie let herself breath out as she heard Snape's door close behind him. She began to breath heavily, as she ran in the opposite direction. So much was racing through her mind. _I can't believe this! I mean, I always knew Snape was bad news, but Professor Wizzie? I can't believe this! They're the killers! They've been the killers all along! _Leslie couldn't believe the anger she was feeling. She had liked Professor Wizengamut from the start. She had been nice, and friendly, and she had gotten her out of trouble before Christmas. _Whizbees! She's only been pretending to be nice so we won't suspect her! Of course! Now it all makes sense!_

Leslie rounded a corner toward Professor McGonagall's classroom, where she burst in, not caring what she was interrupting. She had expected to find Harry and Ron there, but only Professor McGonagall sat at her desk, staring intently at the stack of papers she had in front of her.

"If you're looking for Potter and Weasley, Miss Perks, I'm afraid they left some time ago." Professor McGonagall said modestly, without looking up from her work. Leslie didn't care, as she ran up the aisle, stopping in front of her grandmother's desk.

"Itdoesn'tmatterIneedtotellyouwhatIsawwehavetodosomething!" Leslie yelled out without taking a breath! Professor McGonagall looked up and noticed Leslie breathing heavily, and trembling, and she hadn't heard a single word Leslie had screamed out.

"Calm down, my dear." Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand, pointing it at Leslie. "_Intrepidus."_ Leslie immediately felt herself growing calmer, and she wasn't trembling any longer. She took a deep breath in.

"There, now that I've placed a calming spell on you, you can tell me what's bothering you." Professor McGonagall said as she placed her wand back on her desk. Leslie was finding it difficult to know how to begin. She knew what she had just seen; but it was harder now that she was actually standing in front of her grandmother. McGonagall noticed Leslie's hesitating.

"What's wrong child? You look terrified." McGonagall pointed out as she stood. Leslie's breathed out quickly.

"Professor, I know who the killer is! Or rather, the killers!" She cried, as she could feel her heart slowing down a bit. McGonagall puckered her brow.

"What do you mean? Leslie, have you been poking around where you shouldn't be?" She asked.

"Professor! I know who's responsible for all of these deaths! It's been here at Hogwarts all along!" Leslie shouted, ignoring her grandmother's last comment. There was no time. _They're brewing more Venom. It's only a matter of time before they strike._

"Alright Leslie, tell me what you saw. Who do you think the killers are?" McGonagall asked. Leslie sighed, already sensing McGonagall's disbelief, but Leslie had to tell somebody.

"It's Snape and Wizengamut!" Leslie found she could no longer use her nickname anymore. _She's not who I thought she was. Nothing is ever what it seems._

"They're brewing the Venom! I saw them in Snape's office over a cauldron!" Leslie cried. McGonagall only raised an eyebrow.

"Leslie, Professor Snape _is_ the Potions master. It doesn't surprise me you saw him brewing potions." She said with a shake of her head.

"No! I heard Professor Wizengamut cast a spell. I don't know what the spell is, but I swear, I heard her say 'Trog.' Don't you see? They've been behind this from the start! They killed all those innocent people. We have to stop them before they kill again!" Leslie yelled out. She stared at her grandmother, who didn't so much as flinch. She sighed and peered at her granddaughter over her square spectacles.

"Leslie, that is a strong accusation to make. You probably just misheard Professor Wizengamut's incantation. I think you are so determined to discover the truth that you are twisting normal situations. Professor Snape is the Potions master, and Professor Wizengamut is...er...is with Professor Snape a lot. It's nothing more than that." McGonagall said. Leslie widened her eyes and stared at her grandmother with an open mouth. _She doesn't believe me!_

"But Professor, we-"

"Enough Leslie. Professor Dumbledore trusts both Professor Snape and Professor Wizengamut - if he didn't, he wouldn't have given them a job here." McGonagall pointed out. Leslie crossed her arms.

"Well, perhaps he was wrong." She said. Professor McGonagall looked up with wide eyes.

"I understand you are upset, Leslie. Seeing Miss Granger's neighbour die so suddenly must have upset you greatly, but there is no need to insult your headmaster. Now, off you go. It's nearly dinnertime." McGonagall turned her attention back to her stack of papers. Leslie opened her mouth to argue, but she knew it was pointless. Her grandmother didn't believe her. She turned and walked out of the classroom. She started to run toward the Great Hall. _At least my friends will believe me. Then maybe we can do something._ When she rounded the corner, she bumped into Hermione, Ron and Harry.

"Leslie, we were just coming to look for you." Harry said, as his smile dropped. "Is something wrong?" Leslie nodded, and as she lowered her voice to a whisper, she repeated her discovery to the three.

"I can't believe it! Professor Wizzie?" Hermione asked, eyes wide. Leslie could swear she heard Ron mutter something along the lines of "what was I thinking?"

"Her name is not Wizzie. I refuse to call her that. She's a killer!" Leslie hissed as she crossed her arms.

"I always knew Snape was bad news! From day one, I knew he was trouble." Harry said.

"But why? What do they have to gain by killing all these people?" Hermione asked. Leslie sighed.

"I bet they're trying to make a statement about something." She gasped. "What if the pair of them are Death Eaters, and Voldemort ordered them to do this?" Ron, Harry and Hermione returned her gaze with wide eyes.

"Leslie, you have to tell your grandmother!" Hermione cried. Leslie sighed, feeling frustrated.

"I did! She didn't believe me. She thought I was overreacting, but I know what I saw. You guys believe me, right?" She asked.

"Yeah we do, but what can we do?" Ron asked. Nobody seemed to have any answers, but Hermione shot them a look, telling them not to utter another word. Leslie turned and saw Gabrielle and Marisa walking on either side of Malfoy. Leslie sighed and looked away. _Please just keep walking._

"Hey Perks. I'm surprised you aren't escorting your little wimpy friend; that Kedavra kid down to the Owlry." Malfoy sneered. Leslie rolled her eyes.

"Why would I be doing that, Malfoy? Enlighten me." She snapped.

"He's always getting lost. I'm surprised you aren't babysitting him." Marisa said sarcastically.

"The little shrimp tried asking us which way. We told him just so he would get his cursed name away from us." Malfoy said. As they began to walk away with a laugh, Leslie's curiosity got the better of her.

"Wait!" She called. Malfoy and the girls turned and glared at her. "Why was Christopher going to the Owlry this close to dinner?" Gabrielle giggled.

"Detention of course. What else is new?" She retorted.

"Detention?" She asked. "With whom?" She swallowed hard, fearing she already knew the answer.

"Professor Wizengamut!" Marisa called over her shoulder, as the three Slytherins strode off.

Leslie and her friends didn't have to say a word. They were already flying toward the Owlry!


	14. Kedavra's Curse

"What if it's too late? What if Christopher is already..." Leslie couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, as she and her friends made their way quickly across the school to the Owlry. She was already out of breath, and knew they would be late for dinner, but Christopher was her friend, and she and her friends were the only ones who knew the truth.

Leslie darted through the front door of the Owrly without a second thought. She wouldn't even listen to Hermione's warnings to be careful. What Leslie found was Professor Wizengamut petting one of the owls with a smile. Leslie narrowed her eyes as she approached the professor.

"Where's Christopher?" She demanded to know. She crossed her arms, trying to be brave, but there was nothing she could do to ignore her trembling body. Having her friends behind her helped her feel a little better, but still, she was standing in front of a killer.

"Why Leslie dear, I sent him to dinner. Surely you don't think I am as cruel as to keep a boy hungry because of a simple detention." Professor Wizzie said with a raised eyebrow and a wink. Leslie was fuming inside; _she's just acting. Don't buy into it._

"Is there anything else, Leslie?" Professor Wizzie asked. Leslie had so much she wanted to say, but she only glared at her through narrow eyes. She could feel Hermione pulling gently at her elbow, and Leslie knew better than to argue.

"No, that's all, Professor Wizengamut." Leslie placed more emphasis on her name than she ever had, and she knew she had crossed a line when Hermione's grip became tighter. "Thank you." Leslie turned and followed her friends closely out of the Owrly, as they headed toward the Great Hall.

"Leslie, you've got to be careful. If Professor Wizengamut is one of the killers, we can't let on that we know anything, or we'll be next! We can't put ourselves in the line of fire; especially since we're the only ones who know the truth." Hermione pleaded as they turned a corner.

"Yeah Leslie, we can't help anybody if we're dead." Ron bluntly stated. Leslie knew this was true, but she felt so scared for Christopher, she hadn't been thinking clearly. _Well, at least I know he's okay. If she had killed him, he would have still been in the Owlry._ Still, Leslie couldn't get rid of that horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

----------------------------------------------------------------

When the four friends arrived at the Great Hall, they were unable to enter! Crowds of students were blocking the entrance.

"What's going on? I'm starving!" Ron complained as he jumped up to gaze over the heads of his fellow students. Leslie wasn't so polite. She took advantage of her small stature and shifted her way through the crowd, leaving her friends behind. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, where she caught a gasp in her throat. The shock was too much for her; she nearly collapsed when she saw Christopher's unconscious body, lying helplessly on the ground. Leslie's questions were lost among the rest of the students, demanding to know what had happened. Leslie barely noticed Professor Dumbledore standing over Christopher's body.

"Clear a path, students! Clear a path immediately!" Dumbledore's voice seemed more amplified than usual - Leslie guessed he had used a spell, as the students filed to either side of the room, still gazing at Christopher. Leslie could feel tears stinging her eyes, as she hesitantly stepped aside. _What happened? Is he...have they..._

Leslie barely noticed Madame Pomfrey joining Professor Dumbledore, and pulling out her wand quickly.

"_Abduco_." She said, and Leslie jumped as Christopher's body raised from the ground, obeying Madame Pomfrey's wand. Madame Pomfrey guided Christopher's body through the crowd in midair, and headed toward the hospital wing. Leslie felt herself breathing more and more heavily. _How could they have done it? If they gave it to him in the Owlry, he would have been dead already. It kills instantly. _Leslie instinctively began to follow Madame Pomfrey out of the Great Hall, wanting nothing more than to make sure her friend would be alright, but Madame Pomfrey gave her a look that strictly forbade it. Before Leslie could even argue, Professor Dumbledore raised his arms to silence the room.

"I would appreciate it very much if the lot of you would please make your way to your common rooms. All your questions will be answered in due time. Off you go, thank you." He said, and watched thankfully as the students began to file out of the room. Leslie, however, didn't budge.

"Professor, pardon my asking, but what happened to Christopher?" Leslie asked, feeling those tears stinging her eyes once again. The sadness that was written all over Dumbledore's face didn't make matters any easier. Whatever had happened had not been good.

"I am sorry Ms. Perks, but at this point, I know as much or as little as you do." Dumbledore replied honestly, as though it brought him great sadness.

"But what about the Trog venom?" Leslie paused. "Did Professor McGonagall tell you what I saw?" Leslie brightened up for a split second, hoping that her headmaster would believe her, but as he shook his head slowly, her hopes failed.

"Yes Ms. Perks, Professor McGonagall briefly filled me in and I can assure you, you have nothing to worry about. I trust both Professors Snape and Wizengamut with my life. I would expect you to do the same, especially in this grave time." Professor Dumbledore explained, and without another word, he motioned his hand as a sign for Leslie to run along. Leslie sighed out angrily as she turned from her headmaster. _Nobody believes me, and now Christopher might be dying._ Leslie swallowed back her tears as she ran toward her common room.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe nobody will believe us! How are we supposed to stop them when nobody will believe the truth?" Harry asked in a hushed whisper as the four friends sat huddled around the fireplace that evening. Still no word had reached their common room on the state of Christopher, or of what had happened. Leslie was beginning to worry, wondering why Professor McGonagall hadn't come up to explain things to her Gryffindor students.

"I don't know, but we have to do something. For all we know, Christopher could already be dead." Ron pointed out, not realizing he had spoken out loud. He caught on to his insensitivity when he saw Leslie's moist eyes. "Sorry Leslie." Leslie shrugged.

"What? You're right, aren't you? And now any one of us could be next! I can't believe we thought we were safe here the whole time!" Leslie shouted out, as she pounded her fist against the floor. Just as she did, the Fat Lady portrait swung open, and Leslie joined the rest of her Gryffindor students in standing up to greet whoever was entering their room. It was Professor McGonagall, and Leslie swallowed hard, as she bent down to pick up Jinxie, cuddling her close for comfort.

"I know you have all been wondering what happened tonight down in the Great Hall. I apologize for any inconvenience in missing dinner; the Hogwarts house elves will bring up some dinner for you shortly. In light of what has happened tonight, we have some new rules to be put into play immediately. None of you will drink _anything_ unless one of the staff casts a _Desuminficio _spell on it first, to rid it of any potential poisons. At all meals, all the professors will be making their rounds around your tables to be performing the spell to ensure the safety of all our students. Your job is to make sure you do not take a sip until the spell has been cast. Is that clear?" Professor McGonagall asked, eyeing Leslie especially. Leslie joined her classmates in verbalizing their agreement.

"Good. Enjoy your meal - the pumpkin juice has already been tested. Goodnight." Professor McGonagall turned to leave, but Leslie stepped forward.

"Professor!" She called. Professor McGonagall turned around and stared at her granddaughter with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes Ms. Perks?" She asked. Leslie sighed, and shuffled her feet a little, nervous to ask, but nervous not to.

"Is Christopher...is Christopher going to be...alright?" She asked timidly, and she noticed heads all around her turning toward McGonagall, wanting the same answers she did. McGonagall sighed and shook her head.

"I do not know at this point, Ms. Perks. We are doing everything we can, but for now, that is all I can tell you." She turned to leave. "Goodnight once more." Leslie watched with tears misting in her eyes as her grandmother made her way through the portrait. Leslie stood staring at the portrait, ignoring the chatter that broke loose in the common room. She barely noticed when the Hogwarts house elves came scurrying into the common room with trays and trays filled with food they had missed at dinner.

"Leslie, aren't you coming?" Hermione asked, as she had appeared at Leslie's side. Leslie sighed, not feeling the least bit hungry, but she followed her friend back to the fire anyway, allowing one of the house elves to serve her a tray of food, and a glass of pumpkin juice. She wearily took a sip of it, feeling the fear overpowering her.

The four friends ate in silence, all thinking about Christopher, and about the killers that resided within the walls of Hogwarts.

After they had finished eating, Leslie grabbed hold of Harry's robe, and pulled him aside, away from listening ears.

"What's the matter Leslie? Are you alright?" Harry asked, immediately regretting asking. He knew Christopher had become Leslie's friend, and he knew she was just as scared as he was.

"Listen Harry, I need you to do me a favour." Leslie whispered quietly, hoping nobody could hear her, especially Hermione, whom she knew wouldn't approve. Harry puckered his brow.

"Anything, Leslie." He said.

"I need to borrow your invisibility cloak tonight. Can you leave it somewhere for me to find? I need to go somewhere after curfew." Leslie explained, eyes pleading for an answer.

"Of course. I'll stash it under the carpet at the bottom of the staircase. Will you be able to find it alright if I put it there?" Harry asked. Leslie nodded.

"Yeah, I should." She paused. "Thanks Harry." She tried to smile, but at that moment, found she couldn't.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Leslie waited a long while after lights out that night, lying wide-eyed in her bed. She waited until she could hear the even breathing of Hermione and the rest of her roommates before she got up out of bed, and grabbed a sweater to throw on over her pajamas. She quietly tiptoed out of the room, and down the spiral staircase into the common room, which she found absolutely empty, and dark. She carefully pulled out her wand.

"_Lumos."_ She whispered and a dim light appeared at the end of the wand, which she used as a small flashlight. She bent down next to the staircase and carefully lifted the corner of the carpet, where she found Harry's invisibility cloak. She looked around once more to ensure the coast was clear before she quickly wrapped the cloak around herself, making sure every inch of her body was covered. She began to tiptoe out of the common room, past the Fat Lady and out into the corridor. She could hear the Fat Lady muttering something about being sure her portrait door was closed before she headed down the hallway toward her destination; the hospital wing.

She found the room empty, except for one bed at the end of the room, where she found whom she had been looking for. Christopher was lying in a pool of sweat, and his hair seemed glued to his forehead. His face was as white as a ghost, and his whole body was shaking. Leslie ran up to him, and threw off the invisibility cloak, already sobbing. She sat down on the bed beside the shaking boy, and took his hand in her own.

"I'm sorry I was too late, Christopher." She managed to say, through her tears.

--------------------------------------------------

For what seemed like hours, she sat in silence, sobbing quietly as she stared at the unconscious boy, hoping he would wake up and everything would be alright. Leslie barely noticed the fluffy cat that stalked its way into the room, rubbing against Leslie's legs carelessly. Leslie nearly jumped out of her skin when the cat transformed into her grandmother, Professor McGonagall. Leslie breathed out, still not used to the fact her grandmother was an animagus, a witch who could transform herself into an animal.

"What are you doing here?" Leslie asked, as she continued to stare at Christopher sadly. McGonagall was quiet for a moment before she broke the deafening silence.

"I had a feeling you might come down here, Leslie. You're a good friend; loyal and true." McGonagall said as she stared over Leslie's shoulder at Christopher. Leslie sniffled as she had so many questions swarming through her mind.

"Professor, is Christopher going to...die?" Leslie asked, not even thinking before she asked. A part of her wanted to know the answer, and another part of her dreaded the answer. She felt she already knew what the answer would be.

"I'm not sure, Leslie. Christopher did drink the Venom, after all. It...doesn't look good." McGonagall explained.

"That can't be! If Christopher drank the Venom, he would have been dead by now! The Venom kills instantly!" Leslie screamed out, hoping by screaming, it would make everything right.

"The Venom does kill instantly, if the right amount has been ingested. Christopher had a very small sip of his pumpkin juice. It was enough to put him in this coma, but we aren't sure yet whether or not it will kill him. There is nothing we can do for him; we can only wait and hope that he will survive." Professor McGonagall said sadly as she rested a hand on Leslie's shoulder. Leslie sighed out loud.

"We aren't even safe here at the castle anymore." She pointed out as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Leslie, we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our students. You must promise me, my dear, you will make sure somebody casts the _Desuminficio _spell on everything you drink, do you understand? I can't be around you at all times, you know, but I need to know you'll be safe." McGonagall said sternly as she eyed Leslie nervously from behind those square spectacles. Leslie sighed angrily.

"Sure, but I'm not letting Snape or Wizengamut _anywhere_ near me!" She muttered.

"I'm sorry Leslie?" McGonagall asked, not hearing her.

"I said yes, I promise Professor." Leslie lied, staring once again at Christopher, who looked like he was in so much pain. "I will find out who did this to you Christopher, and I'm going to stop them, no matter _what_ I have to do!" Leslie could feel McGonagall's grip on her shoulder tighten.

"Leave it alone Leslie, don't you go looking for trouble. There is already a lot of danger to watch out for; don't make it worse." She said quietly. Leslie only nodded, but barely heard her grandmother's warnings. One of her friends was dying slowly in front of her; she refused to sit around and let Snape and Wizengamut get away with it only to kill again. _I'll prove it, somehow. I've got to!_ Leslie sighed once more as she gave Christopher's hand a tight squeeze.


	15. The Chase Begins

"Leslie, for goodness sake, wake up." Hermione elbowed Leslie in the ribs, as Leslie shook herself awake. She stifled a yawn as she grabbed another helping of potatoes. She had been dozing off all through dinner. She reasoned it was because of her late night visit to the hospital wing the previous night. She had stayed there most of the night, hoping Christopher would wake up and be okay, but that hadn't happened.

"Sorry Hermione." Leslie apologized as she rubbed her eyes. Hermione sighed and smiled weakly.

"It's alright, but you have to get your rest. Especially now; we have to be on our guard constantly. We're the only ones who know the truth, and so we're the ones who have to watch for any strange behaviour so we can prove it's them." She whispered quietly. Leslie nodded, knowing this was true, but even after she had gone to bed late that night, she was still feigning off nightmares for most of the night. She felt like she hadn't slept a wink.

"Don't worry, perhaps I'll get some rest tonight." Leslie said as glasses full of pumpkin juice magically appeared before their eyes. Leslie sighed as Dumbledore stood promptly.

"Please do not take any sips of your pumpkin juice! The professors are making the rounds now to do the _Desuminficio_ spell. Your patience is greatly appreciated." He said quickly, and he returned to his seat. Leslie stared at her juice, and shook her head angrily.

"This is so stupid! Whizbees, does he honestly think Snape and Wizengamut will actually perform the right spell on these drinks?" She asked with a huff.

"They might. If they're trying to keep their secret, they wouldn't blow it with so many witnesses around. Even _they're _smarter than that." Hermione pointed out, and even Leslie had to agree this was true. Still, when Professor Wizengamut approached the Gryffindor table, Leslie cringed inside. Leslie hoped Professor McGonagall would reach them first, as she was starting on the other side of the Gryffindor table, but Wizzie was fast approaching and before she knew it, Wizzie had made it to where Leslie, Hermione, Harry and Ron were sitting.

"Hello everyone; won't take a moment." Professor Wizzie said as she hovered her wand over Leslie's drink first.

"_Desuminficio." _She said with a quick wave of her wand, and she proceeded to do the same to the other drinks. Leslie stared at her pumpkin juice with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. _There's no way I'm drinking that._

"Something wrong Leslie?" Professor Wizzie asked as she stared at Leslie. Leslie's anger got the better of her, as she shoved her drink forward, and stormed out of the Great Hall. Hermione's face paled, as Ron and Harry stared after Leslie with wide eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Wizzie asked, eyeing Hermione, Harry and Ron curiously. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"No, Professor. Leslie, erm, hasn't been feeling very well today, that's all." Harry said, stepping into the awkward moment. Professor Wizzie nodded slowly.

"Oh, poor dear, I do hope she's feeling better." She said simply and walked off to continue the _Desuminficio _spell on other Gryffindor students. Harry, Ron and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief once Wizzie was out of earshot.

"That was close. What is Leslie thinking storming out like that? I thought we were trying _not_ to arouse suspicion." Ron stated bluntly.

"Well, were _you_ going to take a sip of that pumpkin juice mate?" Harry asked. Ron stared into his cup and promptly pushed it away, grimacing a bit as he did.

Leslie was running down corridors on her way to the hospital wing. She hadn't been to see Christopher since the previous night when he had been brought up there. Anger and fear raged through her blood, as tears flew from her eyes. _If Christopher dies, I'll...I'll..._ She didn't know what she would do, but she vowed she wouldn't let Snape and Wizzie kill again.

She burst through the doors of the hospital wing and ignored Madame Pomfrey's scolding words about how there are to be no students in the hospital wing during these hours. Leslie barely heard her; she could only stare at the empty bed where Christopher had been laying only hours ago. Her stomach dropped, as she slowly turned to face Madame Pomfrey.

"Where is he?" She asked, feeling like she already knew the answer. Madame Pomfrey's expression changed from one of anger and annoyance to one of sadness and despair. Leslie could feel her tears coming quickly.

"The venom was too strong dear. The young boy didn't make it. Christopher died this afternoon." Madame Pomfrey explained as best she could. Leslie's whole body felt numb, as she turned and looked at the empty bed once more. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. _He knew he would be killed. Just like his parents. He knew._ Leslie turned and ran from the hospital wing, determined now more than ever to catch Snape and Wizzie before they claimed another victim; she wasn't about to wait around for them to kill another of her friends, or possibly her.

She rounded a corner and bumped into something hard. It took a moment for Leslie to gain her bearings, but when she looked up, she saw Professor Wizengamut staring at her.

"Oh dear, are you alright Leslie?" She asked, as she brushed off her robe. Leslie's anger and rage were building up inside now more than ever. She was standing face to face with the woman who had just killed her good friend Christopher. She wanted to yell, she wanted to scream, she wanted to kick, she wanted to punch, but she remembered what Hermione had told her. _We can't put ourselves in the line of fire; especially since we're the only ones who know the truth._ Leslie swallowed all the comments that were resting on the tip of her tongue, as she nodded her head slowly.

"Mind where you're going, Leslie. These are some pretty sharp corners, if I do say so myself. Best if you walk." Wizzie said with a wink. Leslie could feel her face turning red, but she only nodded submissively. Professor Wizzie flashed a smile, and Leslie walked away, waiting until she was around the corner before she took off in a run again, heading toward the Gryffindor common room.

"Christopher is dead." Leslie said to Harry, Hermione and Ron the second she reached her friends, who were sitting in arm chairs by the window in the common room. Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at her with wide eyes, as they all stopped what they were doing.

"Dead? When?" Hermione asked, feeling her stomach drop.

"This afternoon. Don't you get it? We have to do something, tonight! We have to do something before they do this again! It was too late to save Christopher, but we can't let it happen again, or it could be one of us." Leslie said, still feeling the grief over the loss of a friend, but she wanted nothing more at that moment than to avenge his death, and save more lives, if she could.

"But what can we do? We have to catch them doing something before we can prove they're guilty." Harry pointed out, leaning back in the chair, sulking.

"Now might be our chance." Ron said from his chair, as he was staring out the window. Leslie puckered her brow.

"What are you talking about Ron?" She asked, glancing sideways at Hermione and Harry, who both shrugged in unison. Ron turned to face his friends.

"Take a look." He said, as he inched over to allow his three friends to gaze out the window. Leslie, Hermione and Harry crowded around the window and followed Ron's line of vision to the front gates of Hogwarts, where they saw a familiar figure in a purple robe gliding out of the castle grounds, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds.

"Wizengamut!" Leslie hissed as she watched the professor exit the gates.

"Well, are we going to follow her, or what?" Ron asked, as he headed to his dormitory to grab his cloak.

"Are you crazy? We can't just leave the castle. Students aren't supposed to leave the castle grounds under any circumstances unless they're accompanied by the staff." Hermione said, reciting once again the rules of Hogwarts.

"Hermione! Wizengamut could be on her way to kill more people right now! We can't just sit here and wait for that to happen if we know the truth." Harry pointed out as he stood to join Ron. Hermione sighed, as she returned the desperate glare of her three friends.

"Well, you're right. I want it to be known that I do _not_ approve of breaking the rules, but I suppose these are special circumstances." She finally said as she followed the three toward their dormitories to grab their cloaks.

"Oh Harry, you'd better bring your invisibility cloak. We'll probably need it to get through those gates." Leslie pointed out. Harry smiled.

"Right." Harry said. Ron smiled slightly.

"Blimey." He said. "Think we'll ever get through a year without an adventure?"

"Ouch, you're stepping on my foot Hermione!" Leslie cried out.

"It wasn't me!" Hermione hissed.

"Well it was somebody!" Leslie retorted.

"Sorry, that was probably me." Harry said. The four friends were crowded under Harry's invisibility cloak, making their way across the castle grounds. Leslie had thought it was bad enough the previous year when both her and Harry had to crowd under the cloak, but now with the four of them, she had a change of mind.

"Look, footprints!" Ron said as he pointed to the ground, accidentally elbowing Harry in the nose. Leslie, Hermione and Harry looked down and saw footprints left in the mud. Leslie smiled.

"I guess I'm glad it's been raining after all." She whispered as the four friends carefully followed the footsteps outside of the castle gates, where the footsteps continued.

"I guess we can take the cloak off now that we're out of the castle." Harry said as he ripped the cloak off the four.

"Oh thank goodness." Leslie muttered as she fastened her robe tighter around herself. It was rather chilly out that evening in May, especially with the rain still pouring down on them.

"Where do you suppose Wizengamut is going?" Harry asked as the four continued to follow the footprints.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Leslie replied as she followed along, glancing over her shoulder nervously.

"It looks like they're headed into Hogsmeade." Hermione said as she pointed ahead at the wizarding community just ahead.

"You're probably right Hermione, that's exactly what it looks like." Ron replied as he continued onward.

"She's probably going to kill again!" Leslie said angrily, as she picked up the pace a bit. Her friends trotted to keep up with her.

"Leslie, remember we have to be careful." Hermione pointed out. Leslie turned to look at her.

"Don't worry, I won't blow this." She said simply as the four friends finally made it into Hogsmeade. They scanned the surrounding area, and couldn't find any sign of Wizzie, and unfortunately, hers were no longer the only sets of footprints embedded into the mud.

"Great. How are we going to find her now? There must be a hundred different footprints here." Harry said, as he kicked the mud bitterly. Leslie shivered from the cold as she felt all hope of catching Wizengamut and Snape falling through the cracks.

"Well, we could always split up." Ron suggested. Hermione glared at him with wide eyes.

"Ronald, that's so dangerous!" She cried out. Ron narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have any better suggestions?" He retorted.

"Guys, stop it! I think Ron's right. There's no other way. If we stick together and follow all these footprints, we'll be here all night, and we may be too late. She probably came here to kill again, and if we don't stop her, she'll get away with it again." Leslie pointed out, beginning to feel nervous. The last thing she wanted to do was trudge off through Hogsmeade on her own in search of a killer, but Ron was right; there were no better solutions being offered, and they were running out of time.

Hermione sighed, as she pulled out her wand.

"Alright, we'll split up, but I'm going to teach you all a spell. It's a spell that sends sparks up in the air right above where you are. If any of us gets into trouble, we'll send the sparks so the others can come to help." She said. "Now pay attention."

"You make it sound like we never do." Ron said sarcastically. Hermione glared at him with dagger eyes.

"Anytime, Hermione." Harry said impatiently. Hermione nodded.

"You just point your wand straight in the air and say _Periculum._ Do you understand?" She asked. The three nodded.

"_Periculum._ Right, got it." Leslie said, feeling her heart beginning to beat faster and faster, knowing in only seconds, she would be scoping out Hogsmeade by herself.

"Right then, well, be careful everyone." Hermione said, as her eyes were beginning to glisten slightly. Harry, Ron and Leslie nodded without a word. There was nothing more to be said. As they all turned from each other in opposite directions, they all knew their mission, and fear was something they would have to leave behind.


	16. Inside the Shrieking Shack

The silence was deafening as Leslie followed a set of footprints down a deserted path leading out of Hogsmeade. Her wand was poised in front of her, as a dim light shone from it, acting as a flashlight. Still, only being able to see a few feet in front of her was a bit uncomfortable.

The path was still muddy, and Leslie was finding it difficult not to slide around, while still concentrating on the road in front of her. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, as she glanced over her shoulder every time she heard the smallest cricket chirp or owl hoot.

Her breathing became heavier, blending in with the sound of the rain pouring down on the muddy path, and the rough breeze blowing through the trees. Leslie swallowed hard, as she moved her wand around her surroundings carefully. _Wizengamut or Snape could be hiding anywhere. I can't let them catch me._ She reasoned as she held her chin up bravely.

She had been walking for nearly half an hour now, as she turned and could no longer see the town from where she was standing. She swallowed hard, knowing if she sent up the sparks, it would be a long time before help came. She shook that thought aside. _I can't think like that. Whizbees Leslie, get a grip! _

Leslie began to climb a hill, where the footprints had already ascended. Leslie had to grip tree branches to pull herself up, since the muddy slope was too slippery to allow her access. She crawled up to the top of the hill, and brushed off the mud from her cloak. She breathed out slowly and held her wand up to see that the coast was still clear.

Except for one thing.

Leslie had to squint her eyes, and hold up her wand to see it, but there in the near distance was what looked like a run down old shack. The footprints were leading her straight to the shack. Leslie swallowed the lump of fear in her throat as she stared at the abandoned old shack. _The Shrieking Shack. Hermione must have told me about it a million times. She's always wanted to see it._ She cringed when she remembered Hermione telling her about it's history and how it was supposedly haunted. Leslie shivered. _Figures that's where Wizengamut might be headed._ Leslie thought about sending sparks right then and there, but she remembered how far she was from the town, and how long it would take them to find her. _By that time, Wizengamut could kill twelve people!_ Leslie thought about Christopher and how it was too late for him. Leslie had never felt more afraid than she was at that moment. The previous year's encounter with Lord Voldemort had been extremely frightening, but her friends had been there with her. Now, she was facing this alone. _But Christopher was my friend too, and he died because of Wizengamut and Snape. I can't let them get away with that._ Leslie nodded to herself, feeling only a slightly bit braver, and headed toward the Shrieking Shack.

The door was flapping in the wind, banging hard against the aligning wall. Leslie grabbed hold of the handle and pushed the door open, listening to it slowly creak it's way open. Leslie swallowed hard as she entered the shack, wand held at the ready. The shack appeared deserted, as Leslie waved her wand around to scan the room. The windows were covered in dust, and the hardwood floor had holes. Mice were huddled in the corners, and the whole shack seemed to be creaking, as though it could collapse at any moment.

There was no where else to go but up the stairs. The staircase looked older than any other part of the shack, and Leslie feared she would take down the whole shack if she put her weight on the stairs, but when she bent down and held her wand down to take a look at the bottom step, she noticed a footprint shaped in the dust. _Somebody's here._ She swallowed hard as she looked up the stairs. She grabbed hold of the railing to keep herself steady and she slowly and carefully tiptoed up the stairs, cringing at every creak she heard along the way. Leslie looked back only once, but already knew there was no turning back now.

At the top of the stairs was an open door. A light shone from the room as Leslie hesitantly approached it.

"_Knox." _She whispered as the light on her wand went out; there was no longer any need for it, as the light shining from the room was bright enough. Leslie swallowed quickly and pushed open the door, finding a lantern lit in the corner of the room, and a cauldron bubbling in the other corner. Leslie's eyes widened as she took a quick glance around and saw nobody. Her heart was racing; hammering against her chest as she approached the cauldron carefully, peeking in. She breathed in and smelled nothing. _This has to be it. This must be the Venom of Trog!_ Leslie realized as she felt the anger bubbling inside her, replacing those earlier feelings of fear.

Leslie turned quickly, whipping out her wand.

"Wizengamut, come out! I've caught you! I know it's been you and Snape all along! There's no use in hiding anymore! Show yourself!" She shouted, turning in all directions to see where her teacher was hiding. Leslie could hear footsteps in the near distance, and she knew Professor Wizengamut was coming. Leslie trusted her instinct and held her wand straight above her head.

"_Peric-"_

"_Expelliarmus!" _Leslie's wand flew from her grasp, sliding to the other side of the room. Leslie gasped, as she looked at the doorway and could only make out the shadow of a person standing with their wand poised, ready to strike. Leslie knew she was facing Professor Wizengamut.

"You! I can't believe I ever trusted you! You're supposed to be a teacher! All this time, you've been the murderer all along; you and Snape! You've got to stop!" Leslie shouted, feeling the fear coming back again as she stood helplessly in front of a murderer. Silence followed before Leslie could hear a quiet laughter coming from the figure. As the malicious laughter grew stronger, Leslie's heart began to beat even faster. That laughter did not belong to Professor Wizengamut. Leslie swallowed as she squinted her eyes, trying to see who the figure was.

"Who are you?" Leslie shouted as the laughter finally died down. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the figure began to walk forward, into the light. Leslie squinted to see who she was facing, and when she could finally make out who it was, she couldn't believe her eyes.

"You." Leslie muttered as the figure smiled mischievously.


	17. The Truth Revealed

"Tenille! What on earth are you doing here?" Leslie asked, wondering why Tenille had her wand held at the ready. "Did you see Wizengamut leave the castle as well? You saw them in Snape's office, brewing the Venom, didn't you?" Leslie felt relieved when she realized Tenille must have performed the disarming charm, thinking Leslie was Wizengamut. _She's trying to stop her as well!_

Leslie felt her stomach drop when Tenille began to laugh again.

"Don't be so stupid, Leslie! I can't believe you still think it was Wizzie and Snape all this time. They haven't been involved in any of the killings, and they are definitely not brewing the Venom." Tenille said in a voice that was not familiar to Leslie at all. It sounded evil and malicious. Leslie puckered her brow.

"What do you mean? I _saw_ them casting spells over a cauldron. I heard Wizengamut say 'Trog." She said, feeling more and more uncomfortable. What was wrong with Tenille; she didn't seem like herself at all.

"That's what I wanted you to think. All this time, you thought they were the killers, when all they were really doing was inventing an antidote to the Venom. I had to make sure nobody suspected me in any of this, and you and your friends being the nosy dolts you are, I had to make sure you were going about it in the wrong direction." Tenille replied, still holding her wand up, lips curled in a proud grin.

"It was _you_ all along? You've been brewing the Venom? You've been killing all those people? You killed Christopher?" Leslie asked, feeling more confused as Tenille walked closer. Leslie tried to back up but unfortunately, she hit the wall behind her.

"Yes. I've been brewing the Venom, and I did kill all those people, and Christopher." Tenille replied, almost proudly.

"How? How did you do it?" Leslie asked, wondering how she could have missed it. She had been friends with Tenille - why hadn't she caught on?

"Funny, isn't it? Nobody would ever suspect a little 12-year-old Hufflepuff girl who keeps to herself mostly and minds her own business, would they?" Tenille laughed a little.

"It still doesn't make any sense. How could you have done it?" Leslie still wanted to know.

"It's very simple, Leslie, but I honestly don't expect somebody like you to understand. I come here at night to work on brewing the Venom. I've learned if you add a little Bolbax Powder, it kills faster. It takes about a fortnight to be ready - it has to be exposed to the air for that long before it can become fatal. Once it was ready, I simply filled some vials and went around town, emptying them into anybody's drinks. I didn't care who I killed, it didn't matter anyway because nobody would ever suspect me." Tenille explained as she stared at Leslie with eyes that seemed so deep and dark; eyes that Leslie remembered as timid and shy when she first met Tenille.

"But how did you manage to leave the castle without being seen?" Leslie wondered.

"The same way you and your friends did. I have an invisibility cloak as well. You're not the only ones who can be sneaky, you know. Besides, once I'm out of the castle, it's easy. I can Apparate into Hogsmeade, or into the Muggle world, or wherever I want. I just can't Apparate from the castle grounds, too many charms to get around."

"Just a minute - that makes no sense. You can't get your Apparation license until you're 17. How is it even possible for you to be Apparating?" Leslie asked, growing more and more suspicious. Tenille casually shrugged with a small smile.

"Isn't it amazing what you can do with just a bit of dark magic, Leslie?" She asked in a sarcastic timid voice. "Being an under-aged witch gives me all sorts of advantages, you know. I was able to bring the Venom into the Muggle world undetected, because the Ministry doesn't screen minors like they do everybody else entering the Muggle world." Everything was still coming as a shock to Leslie. She had been looking in the wrong direction the whole time, but never would she have suspected Tenille as the killer. Leslie couldn't believe it.

"Why did you kill Christopher?" She asked, feeling that familiar surge of anger rising up inside her. Her friend was dead, and the girl she thought was her friend killed him. Tenille only shrugged.

"I knew your curiosity was driving you to action. I know you and your friends solved the mystery of the disappearances last year, and I knew you'd be smart enough to figure it out, so I had to lead you in the wrong direction. That's why I made sure you saw Wizzie and Snape brewing the antidote. I knew you would automatically assume the worst - I know you hate Snape, just like every other Gryffindor student, but he's been trying to expel you all year. It's only natural to suspect him, but I had to make sure you really believed it. I knew if Christopher had detention with one of them, and then died not long afterward, you would connect it together and definitely label them the killers. And that's exactly what you did. You're so predictable, Leslie." She said in a mock innocent voice. Leslie shook her head angrily, as she clenched her fists together.

"Christopher was my friend." She said through clenched teeth. Tenille cocked her head to one side in a shrug-like motion.

"So what? You'll meet the same fate he did. The Venom is all ready for you, Leslie. I can't let you go back and tell everyone what you know now. That would be too risky." She said as she walked over to the cauldron, pulling a vial out of her pocket. Leslie gasped and tried to make a break for the door, but Tenille was too quick for her. She whipped around, pointing her wand straight at Leslie.

"_Rictusempra!"_ She yelled, and Leslie felt herself flying against the wall hard. She fell to the ground. She tried to move, but she hurt all over. Tenille was pouring the Venom into a vial already. Leslie tried to catch her breath and struggle to her feet, but Tenille was already closing in on her, holding a vial in her hand. Leslie grabbed hold of Tenille's ankles, pulling her to the ground. Leslie tried to crawl away, but Tenille grabbed hold of one of her pigtails, pulling her back. Leslie screamed out, as she tried to claw Tenille's hands away. Tenille was soon on top of her, struggling to keep the vial steady, so as not to spill. Leslie was trying to push Tenille's hand away, but Tenille seemed to be a lot stronger than Leslie had guessed. Leslie tried to punch, but Tenille was quick and resisted every blow Leslie threw. Tenille managed to get Leslie's hand out of the way, as Leslie tried to struggle, but it was no use. The vial was already poised, ready to pour.

"Sorry Leslie. Tell Christopher I said hello." Tenille said with an evil grin, as she tipped the vial. Leslie closed her eyes, knowing it would be impossible to avoid the Venom, no matter how strong she thought she was. She thought of her friends, and of her grandmother, hoping they would be alright if she died, but all of a sudden, she heard the creaking door burst open, and out of the corner of her eye, Leslie saw the image of Professor Wizengamut standing in the doorway.


	18. Nothing is What it Seems

"_Rictusempra!" _Leslie heard Wizzie's voice shout, and Tenille's body flew off her in the same way she had earlier been jinxed into a wall. Leslie struggled to her feet, as Tenille stumbled for her wand.

"_Expelliarmus!" _Wizzie shouted and Tenille's wand danced across the room. Leslie noticed Tenille's vial had spilled onto the floor as well.

"Leslie, what on earth are you doing out here by yourself?" Professor Wizzie asked as she held her wand at the ready, poised and aimed at Tenille. Leslie swallowed hard, unable to admit she had come to catch the killer, whom she had all along thought was Wizengamut.

"Well it doesn't really matter now, does it? What's going on here?" Wizzie asked, still staring at Tenille, who hadn't so much as moved from her spot.

"_She's_ the killer, Professor! She's been the killer all along! She's been brewing the Venom and slipping it into drinks all over Hogsmeade, the Muggle world and now at Hogwarts. She admitted everything to me." Leslie paused, and stared at the girl she had befriended who was no longer familiar to her at all. "I thought you were my friend." Tenille began to laugh a little, as Wizzie shook her head.

"Hang on Leslie. You do remember what we've been learning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, don't you? Nothing is ever as it seems. I have a feeling Ms. Smythe here is not who she seems to be." She explained, as she approached Tenille carefully. Leslie puckered her brow, following at a safe distance.

"_Advers Imperio!_" Wizzie muttered, pointing her wand at Tenille. A gut-wrenching scream escaped from Tenille's mouth, so loud Leslie had to cover her ears. Tenille's body collapsed to the concrete floor, and began convulsing violently, screams still piercing Leslie's ears. It was a terrible sight to watch, and Leslie wondered what on earth Wizzie was doing to the girl.

Finally, the screams stopped, and Tenille lay still on the ground, before looking around curiously. Something seemed oddly different about her now, Leslie thought, as she peeked around Wizzie to stare at Tenille. The young Hufflepuff girl shook her head and stared up at Wizzie.

"Where are we, Professor? What's going on?" She asked, her eyes misting over with tears, as her body began to tremble. Leslie puckered her brow. _What's going on?_

"Tenille, do you know what day it is today, or what month?" Wizzie asked. Tenille appeared to be thinking carefully, before she shook her head, stifling a sob.

"What's the last thing you remember, my dear?" Wizzie asked.

"I remember being sorted into Hufflepuff, and, and being petrified by that Captiocrat, and meeting Leslie, and..." Tenille's expression went blank after that. Leslie stared at Professor Wizengamut with inquisiting eyes.

"What's going on, Professor? What's wrong with her?" She asked, not caring if she was interrupting anymore.

"It's exactly as I thought. Young Tenille has been under the Imperius Curse. Do you remember when I talked to you all about Imperius Curses?" Wizzie asked. Leslie did, and the next question came to mind rather quickly.

"If she's been under the Curse, who's been controlling her all this time?" Leslie wanted to know, now feeling very sorry for the girl who had no idea what was going on.

"I don't know. We may never know. Tenille will have no memory of when that curse was placed on her. She had no idea what she was doing all this time. She was completely out of control." Wizzie explained. Tenille wasn't even paying attention; she seemed to be concentrating hard on the floor, as though desperately trying to remember something, anything from the last nine months.

"Hang on a minute, she told me she could Apparate back and forth to all those places. How could she have done that when she's underaged?" Leslie asked, still desperate for any kind of answer that made sense.

"I told you dear, Tenille was not herself. Whoever was controlling her was able to have her Apparate, or do anything else at the snap of a finger. Tenille didn't do anything." Wizzie replied, finally tucking her wand away in her robe, knowing she would no longer need it. Leslie looked down at the girl whom she had thought was her friend all year round, but had been the killer, or at least had been used by somebody to kill others.

"Was she ever really Tenille? Or was I just a part of their plan; whoever did this to her." Leslie wondered out loud. Wizzie shook her head, as she placed a comforting hand on Leslie's shoulder.

"No, she remembers meeting you, remember? You two became friends before any of this happened. Hopefully, even after something as terrible as this, you will be able to remain friends. You must remember, Leslie, this was not Tenille's fault. She's the same girl we know and love. None of this is her fault, and she shouldn't have to pay for it by losing a friend." Wizzie whispered as she pushed Leslie forward a little, toward Tenille. Leslie knew Wizzie was right, as she knelt down on the hard floor next to Tenille. Tenille looked up and managed a small, meek smile; the same smile Leslie remembered from the beginning of the year.

"Are you alright Tenille?" Leslie asked quietly, as she pulled her cloak off and handed it to Tenille, who was shivering now. Tenille graciously accepted it, wrapping it around her body, and nodding a little.

"I think so, but what happened? What have I done? I can't remember anything Leslie, you've got to tell me." She said, shaking still. Leslie shook her head slightly, putting a hand on Tenille's shoulder.

"Don't worry, it's all over now. You're okay; that's all that matters." She said with a smile. Tenille smiled back, but only just. Leslie turned and stared up at Professor Wizzie, who was smiling down at the two girls.

"Hang on, how did you know to come up here? We saw you leaving the castle, but how did you know what you were doing?" Leslie wanted to know. Wizzie shrugged modestly.

"I like to stare out my window now and then, to stare at the stars. Seeing as how there were no stars on a cloudy night like tonight, my gaze wandered to the front gates, where I saw young Tenille running through the gates. Naturally I was suspicious, as students are not to leave the castle grounds after dinner. It took me a while to figure out where she had gone, but I happened to be right outside the Shrieking Shack when I heard screaming." Wizzie explained. Leslie smiled a little.

"I guess that was a stroke of good luck for me." She said. Tenille nodded.

"I guess it was for me as well, then." She added. Wizzie smiled, and took a glance around.

"The only thing that confuses me, Leslie, is why you came up here alone. You and your friends are usually always together. Where are they?" She asked. Leslie slapped her hand over her mouth, completely forgetting about her friends.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" She said, as she grabbed her wand, which was still on the ground, and held it above her head.

"_Periculum!"_ She called and she saw the red sparks fly up in the air, and shoot through the shack's roof. "Now they'll know where we are."

"I guess you'll have quite the story to tell them, won't you?" Wizzie asked, with a little wink. Leslie smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief, happy it was over, but still wondering, who had been behind this the whole time. Leslie didn't care at that moment; she was just happy that everybody was safe, and the mystery was solved, but as she waited for her friends to arrive, Leslie hoped Wizzie would never find out she suspected her all along.


	19. A Familiar Face

"You've got to be joking!" Ron exclaimed as he, Harry, Hermione and Leslie walked slowly behind Wizzie and Tenille on the walk back to the castle. Ron, Harry and Hermione had arrived at the Shrieking Shack about twenty minutes after Leslie had sent the sparks. As the group had begun heading back to the castle, Leslie had kept her friends out of earshot from Tenille and Wizzie to explain the events of the evening without being overheard. She didn't want Tenille to find out what she had done; it might be too painful, she reasoned.

"Why on earth would I joke about that, Ron?" Leslie asked a little sourly. She didn't mean to be short, but she was tired, after all, and she had nearly been killed.

"I know, but blimey, who would have ever guessed it was her! I mean, you practically never hear a word from her mouth, and then something like this happens. Bloody hell." Ron said, still shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yes, but Ronald, she was under the Imperius Curse. This wasn't her fault. Nobody can control their actions when under that curse, don't you remember anything from Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Hermione asked, still keeping her voice at a quiet whisper so as not to be heard. She wasn't at all surprised when Ron shook his head with a laugh.

"Well, I knew it couldn't be Wizzie anyway. I mean, can you believe we ever thought it was her?" Ron asked, with that dreamy expression spread across his face again. Leslie secretly thanked Harry later for smacking him upside the head.

"Come on you lot, hurry up. I know Dumbledore is probably out of his mind wondering where we've all gone." Wizzie called back from the shadows. Leslie and her three friends quickened the pace a bit, as they approached the castle. Leslie could only imagine what her grandmother would say when she found out what Leslie had been up to this evening. _She's still sour about the broomstick incident, and that was months ago. Now I've gone and broken another rule. She'll never let me forget it, I'm sure._ She sulked as they entered the castle gates. _I doubt Wizzie will be able to get me out of this one._

* * *

"We're sorry, Professor." Leslie said as she stared at the floor in Dumbledore's office. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood by her side as they waited for Dumbledore to say something, or to expel them, whichever he decided would fit best. He only stared at them over his square spectacles. At that moment, Leslie wished she had accompanied Professor Wizzie down to the hospital wing with Tenille, which Dumbledore had ordered right away. He reasoned Tenille was in a bit of shock, and wanted Madame Pomfrey to give her some _Sopio_ potion to allow her some sleep after such a terrible ordeal.

"You are aware, then, of the school rules stating no student is to leave the premises without a staff, and, might I add, _especially_ after curfew?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"Yes sir." Hermione said, feeling very much ashamed of herself.

"I expect you'll be sending us home now, sir." Harry added, hanging his head low. Dumbledore was silent for a moment, before speaking.

"No, I don't think so. You have broken the rules, yes, and I do not approve of breaking the rules, might I add. But your actions tonight may have saved a young girl's life, as well as many others. We have contacted the Ministry and they have disposed of that cauldron of Venom you found in the Shrieking Shack. You have shown great bravery and courage, and I am awarding each of you 100 points to Gryffindor." Dumbledore said with a wink. Leslie and her friends exchanged glances and smiled, breathing sighs of relief.

"Thank you sir." Leslie gasped, feeling overwhelmed.

"But remember, I do not approve of breaking the rules, just so you know." Dumbledore added, with a slight nod of his head, and even the smallest hint of a smile.

"Yes sir." Hermione said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sir, what about Tenille?" Leslie asked, growing more concerned for her friend.

"Such a true friend, you are Ms. Perks. Tenille will be fine. I have contacted her parents, who are very much concerned, but I have managed to convince them to allow Tenille to finish her term here. I am exempting her from final examinations, seeing as how she will have no memory of the knowledge she would have acquired this year, but I thought it would be best for her to complete the year, so she can move on to her second year when the fall comes." Dumbledore paused. "I know what you're thinking, but do not worry. Nobody else knows about what has happened to Tenille, and so I am trusting the four of you to keep it a secret. We do not want to make this last month any harder on young Ms. Smythe than need be, understood?" The four friends nodded, understanding perfectly. They knew it would be difficult enough for Tenille without having the entire school know what happened.

"Now, run along off to bed." Dumbledore leaned back, looking sad all of a sudden. "Tomorrow is another day."

* * *

All night, Leslie tossed and turned, having nightmares about Tenille attacking her, and of Christopher dying, and of who could have possibly been controlling Tenille during all those months.

The next morning, Leslie found out through the grapevine classes had been cancelled and everyone was to meet in the Great Hall before breakfast. Leslie and her friends wondered why classes had been cancelled, but upon entering the Great Hall, Leslie immediately knew what was going on.

Gryffindor banners hung from every rafter in the Great Hall. The enchanted ceiling showed the cloudy sky above, with rain still pouring down. Chairs lined the Great Hall from front to back and at the front of the hall, where the staff usually sat for meals, right in the centre for all to see, was Christopher, lying in a brass coffin, eyes closed. Leslie began to cry immediately as she and her friends found a seat for Christopher's memorial service. So much had happened the previous night, she hadn't even stopped to think about a service for Christopher, but now, as she stared at the boy in the coffin who had been her friend, she was finally able to grieve for the loss.

Professor Dumbledore stood when the last of the students found their seats. He raised his hands as though to silence the crowd, but the students had already closed their mouths out of respect. Leslie now knew why Dumbledore looked so sad the night before when he sent them off to bed; he had that same sad look in his eye as he stood before his students.

"Boys and girls, I have gathered you here on this sad day to commemorate a life; a young life that was ended unfairly and suddenly. Christopher Kedavra. A first year Gryffindor student who had a certain knack for getting into trouble and acquiring quite a few detentions, if I might add. Nevertheless, he was a true friend to those he befriended." Leslie was sure Dumbledore was staring straight at her. "His heart was noble, brave and pure, and his memory will live on, even though he has left us in body. I want you all to remember Christopher John Kedavra in your hearts." Dumbledore hung his head for a moment of silence. Leslie began to remember back to the first day she ever met Christopher. Dumbledore was right; he did have a certain knack for getting himself detentions, but Leslie could relate to him better than anyone. He was teased for his name, and he fought back, defending himself and his honour. Leslie knew what it was like to be teased. Before she even came to Hogwarts, she was constantly ridiculed and mocked, and even here at school, the Slytherins were constantly on her case. Leslie shed a tear, thinking of all the times she had talked to Christopher, and all the lost memories she would have had if he survived.

"Before I allow you to leave, I have an announcement to make. Professors Snape and Wizengamut have been working very hard in the dungeons over the last few months to create an antidote to the Venom of Trog. I am pleased to announce they have successfully completed the potion, and their efforts have been adopted by the Ministry, who have cast the necessary incantations and performed the necessary procedures, and now, all drinks are safe. The Venom of Trog can no longer harm anyone." Dumbledore said with a smile. The students clapped; it truly was a great moment, to know they were now safe from harm, now that the antidote had been passed through the Magical and Muggle world to keep everybody from the Venom, but the loss of a fellow student still weighed heavy on their hearts.

Professor Dumbledore excused his students, and Leslie told her friends she would enjoy a walk through the courtyard alone for a while. Harry, Ron and Hermione were worried, but they respected her wishes. Leslie walked toward the exit of the Great Hall with so much on her mind. They were safe; that much was true, but there were still so many unanswered questions. Who had really been behind this all along? Who had chosen to control Tenille, and why had they picked Tenille in particular? What were they trying to prove? What kind of statement were they trying to make by killing so many innocent people?

Leslie stared at the ground as she began to exit the Great Hall, when she felt something stopping her. She looked up and saw a familiar black cane blocking her path. She knew right away who that cane belonged to. She looked up and saw just who she had expected. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, whom she had met at the bookstore before school had begun.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Lucius said cooly as he raised an eyebrow. Leslie could feel herself growing angry and annoyed. She had just lost a good friend; the last thing she wanted was to be in the company of a Malfoy.

"Excuse me, please." Leslie said, as she kept her nose high, trying to pass, but Malfoy stuck his cane out again, refusing to allow her passage. Leslie sighed out loud, staring at the tall man.

"What do you want, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked in an angry tone, wanting nothing more than to be alone. Lucius only snickered slightly, looking around as though making sure he wasn't going to be overheard before he bent down to Leslie's level, eyes narrowing.

"You're a nosy little girl, you know. That kind of nosing around can get you into a lot of trouble." He hissed in a low whisper. Leslie's heart skipped a beat, as Lucius was becoming more intimidating than ever.

"I beg your pardon?" Leslie asked, not quite sure what Lucius was talking about.

"You should consider yourself quite lucky, Ms. Perks. It was a definite stroke of luck you were able to get yourself away from young Tenille. You were meant to drink that potion, you know. Lucky for you Wizengamut is just as nosy as you are." Lucius replied, with a sly grin. Leslie narrowed her eyes at her intimidator, hating him more and more with each word he hissed at her. That was when she realized what he was saying. _How else would he know all this? _

"It was _you_. You're the one who put the Imperius Curse on Tenille. You've been controlling her all these months, haven't you? You disgusting wart!" Leslie yelled out, feeling angry. Lucius's eyes narrowed as he grabbed hold of Leslie's arm tightly, scowling down at her.

"How _dare_ you insult me; a meddling little Mudblood no less." He let go of her arm, and then flashed a grin. "That's a pretty harsh accusation to make, don't you think? I'd like to see you prove it! Nobody will believe a child, especially one like yourself, who goes meddling into affairs that are none of her business, and who wrongly accuses her professors of acts they hardly deserve credit for. Besides, it's not like I _admitted_ to anything." He sneered. Leslie glared at him with angry eyes, hating him for what he did. He had used a little girl to murder so many innocent people, and he had all but admitted to his crime.

"You won't get away with this." Leslie said in a quiet whisper, vowing to prove this man had been the murderer all along. Lucius raised an eyebrow, as he tapped his cane on the ground.

"I believe I already have. Oh, and if I were you, young lady, I would be careful. You might not be so lucky next time." He nodded his head at her, as though exchanging pleasantries, and strutted away proudly. Leslie was fuming at the injustice of the situation, but she knew deep down Lucius Malfoy was right. Nobody believed her when she accused Snape and Wizzie of the crime, even though she had been wrong about it all along. Nobody would listen to another accusation coming from her. She wouldn't be able to prove it had been him all along.

"Leslie, what was _that_ all about?" Hermione asked, as Harry and Ron followed close behind her. Leslie turned and saw her three friends staring at her, and then after Lucius Malfoy, who had caught up to Draco. Leslie's eyes narrowed, as she explained in full detail to her friends what Lucius had told her.

"I can't believe it." Hermione said, feeling a little shocked.

"What do you mean you can't believe it? You do realize who his son is, don't you?" Ron asked. Hermione sighed, realizing this was true.

"And the worst part of it all, is he was right. We can't prove it was him. Tenille has no memory of what happened those months, and nobody will believe us, even if we told them." Leslie said sadly, wondering what Lucius's motivation had been all along.

"You're right - nobody will believe us. Nobody believed us when we thought it was Wizzie and Snape." Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but we were wrong about that." Hermione added.

"It doesn't matter whether we were right or not, we weren't even given the chance to explain. We weren't believed; what makes you think anybody will believe us if we try to tell them about Malfoy?" Leslie said, crossing her arms angrily. "I wonder what he meant about being careful. Do you think he's planning something else?"

"I don't know, I guess we'll just have to keep ourselves safe." Harry replied.

"Well mate, we've been able to get ourselves out of dangerous scrapes before. Why not?" Ron asked with a smirk. Even Leslie had to smile.

"Well, the funny part about all of this is Wizzie was right all along." She said. Hermione, Harry and Ron stared at her, cocking their heads slightly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione wanted to know. Leslie shrugged.

"Hasn't she been trying to teach us all along that nothing is what it seems? That some of the darkest creatures can be seen in things we would never expect? I would never have guessed for a moment Tenille was the one we should have been watching." She said, still surprised and overwhelmed by the truth of the situation.

"Well, I guess it just goes to show you..." Ron paused, as his three friends stared at him with inquisitive eyes. "Well, I'm sure it's got to show you something. I'm just not sure what."


	20. End or Beginning?

The end of term came rather quickly, sneaking up on the students unexpectedly. Leslie had almost forgotten about final examinations completely with all that had been going on, but she still had managed to get through them. Hermione hadn't had any problem whatsoever, as she had been studying since Christmas. The boys had been frazzled through the whole experience, but they managed to survive as well.

It was the last day of term, and students were packing their trunks and preparing for the journey home. The previous night at their final feast in the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore had announced that Gryffindor had won the House Cup for the second year in a row. There had been a huge celebration following in the Gryffindor common room that evening. Leslie had celebrated in memory of Christopher, who had been a fellow Gryffindor as well.

It was a busy morning as students were running all through their dormitories trying to gather the last of their possessions. Leslie had been doing the same when she had received an unexpected visit from her grandmother, who had a difficult task for Leslie.

"But _Professor!_" Leslie whined as she stomped her foot down desperately. "I can't do that!" Professor McGonagall stared at her under raised eyebrows, and crossed her arms.

"Well Leslie, I expect you to. I'll have no granddaughter of mine making wrongful accusations toward anyone and then expecting to get away with it." McGonagall said simply. Leslie frowned.

"But it wasn't my fault! I was tricked by Tenille, who wanted me to see what I saw." She debated.

"True as that may be, you still came to those conclusions on your own without thinking about it logically." McGonagall replied simply. Leslie placed her hands on her hips, still willing to argue the point.

"But they never knew I thought it was them. Why should I apologize?" She asked, crossing her arms somewhat defiantly.

"Because I asked you to, and I expect you to respect my wishes, young lady. I want you to march down to the dungeons to Professor Snape's office and tell them about your suspicions and offer your apologies." McGonagall replied, heading to leave.

"But..." Leslie tried to argue again, but the look McGonagall shot at her upon leaving was enough for Leslie to know better than to argue anymore. She sulked as she threw the last of her belongings in her trunk and stomped down toward the dungeons. _It's not fair! It's not like they ever knew I had those suspicions. Why should I have to tell them something they never knew? What they don't know can't hurt them, can it? _Leslie sighed angrily, stomping harder as she descended the stairs that led to the dungeons. _Whizbees, this is so unfair! _

Leslie approached Professor Snape's office with mixed feelings of anger and fear. She knocked on the door quietly, and let herself in, where she found Professor Wizzie and Professor Snape staring at a gold statue of a cauldron.

"Well done, Sevvie. All that hard work paid off, didn't it? The _Palmaris_ _Award for Outstanding Achievement in Potions and Antidotes._" Wizzie stated as she held the trophy in her hand. Leslie wasn't sure but she thought she saw Snape's lips curl into what she guessed was supposed to be a smile, but she wasn't sure because before he had a chance to respond, he turned his head and stared at Leslie, who had been standing in the doorway awkwardly.

"What do you want, Perks?" He asked in his usual bitter tone. Wizzie jokingly pushed Snape aside, walking down toward Leslie.

"Ignore him, he's just being a sourpuss today. What can we do for you Leslie?" Wizzie asked, with her usual bright smile. Leslie felt a little more comfortable, but she would have felt a lot more comfortable if Snape had been absent from this situation.

"Well, er, I came to apologize." Leslie stared, shuffling her feet awkwardly on the ground. _Whizbees, why do I have to do this?_

"Apologize? What for my dear?" Wizzie asked, turning to look at Snape, who seemed unimpressed.

"Well, because I was wrong. I, erm, I saw you and Sn - Professor Snape brewing a potion, and well, I er, I thought you both...were the killers. I thought you were brewing the Venom." Leslie blurted out, feeling embarrassed and nervous all at the same time, swallowing hard as she heard Professor Snape's footsteps come closer in quick strides.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, his voice getting louder. Leslie kept staring at the floor, before she heard Wizzie begin to laugh. Leslie looked up, confused as she saw her professor laughing out loud. Snape only stared at her, seemingly as confused as Leslie was.

"That is priceless, Leslie. I can't believe you thought it was us! That is so funny." Wizzie laughed. Even Leslie cracked a smile for a brief second before Snape's intimidating voice broke the laughter.

"I do not find it the least bit humorous. I think Perks should mind her own business, being that she insists on being the nosiest young lady at Hogwarts." He snapped. Leslie glared at him, as Wizzie playfully elbowed Snape in the ribs.

"Oh don't be such a sourpuss, Sevvie. Be a sport. Well Leslie, thank you for the apology. It wasn't necessary, but thank you for enlightening us. I needed a good laugh." She said, still snickering a little. Leslie smiled, and nodded.

"You're welcome, I guess. Well, I should be off. The carriages will be here any moment, and I still have to find my kitten." She said, still feeling Snape's cold eyes on her.

"Very well Leslie. Have a wonderful summer and we'll see you in the fall, alright? Take care of yourself." Wizzie said.

"Thank you Professor. Goodbye." Leslie replied, staring at Snape for only a moment before she walked out of the office, hearing Wizzie's laughter overpowering Snape's comments.

* * *

Leslie, Harry, Hermione and Ron were standing in front of the castle with the rest of the students, waiting for the carriages to arrive that would bring them to the Hogsmeade train station to board the Hogwarts Express home. Leslie had already told them all about her visit to Snape and Wizzie.

"I _can't_ believe she expected you to do that. I mean, you're right, what did that really achieve?" Hermione asked. Leslie shrugged.

"I think perhaps she finally found a suitable punishment for sneaking out in the middle of the night on my broomstick before school started." She said.

"Speaking of broomsticks, don't forget to try out for Quidditch next year, Leslie." Harry replied. Leslie blushed.

"Well, I don't exactly know how I'm going to practice. I can't fly the broomstick in the Muggle world." She pointed out.

"Don't worry, you can practice at my place when you three come to stay before school starts." Ron offered, proud that he was the only one of them who lived in the Magical world. Leslie smiled.

"Thanks Ron." She said. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to find Professor McGonagall standing in front of her. Leslie managed to smile a little.

"Did you do as I asked?" McGonagall asked. Leslie nodded slowly. McGonagall's lips curled into the smallest smile, but at least it was there.

"Well done, Leslie. Now, mind yourself at the Grangers. I do not want to hear of anymore runaways, understand? I do not want to have to keep your broomstick here all summer." She said.

"Alright, don't worry." Leslie replied, not wanting her grandmother to take away her broomstick, especially if she had to practice for the team next year.

"Very well. Be on your best behaviour. I will check in on you from time to time, Leslie. Make me proud." She gave a quick nod to the other three as well as to Leslie. "Goodbye, enjoy your holiday." With those as her final words, McGonagall strode off toward the castle. Leslie smiled a little. She no longer felt as though her grandmother were angry or disappointed; McGonagall's small smile had proven that. Besides, making Leslie apologize like that had seemed to even out the score. _I don't think I'll ever understand my grandmother._ She thought as she saw the carriages pulling through the gates of the castle. As they did, she turned and saw Tenille standing by herself next to a trunk.

"I'll be right back." Leslie said as she began to walk toward Tenille.

"Be careful." Ron shouted, and Leslie shot him an angry look. He shifted his eyes nervously and turned to talk to Harry. Leslie sighed and walked toward Tenille.

"Hey Tenille." Leslie said quietly. Tenille turned and managed a smile.

"Hi Leslie." Tenille replied meekly, looking around nervously. Leslie knew what she must be thinking.

"Tenille, nobody knows but us. If anybody else knew, the whole school would have known by now. You know how well this school can keep a secret." Leslie joked. Tenille laughed a little.

"Yeah I guess you're right. I just feel like everybody is always staring at me. I know everybody knows something is wrong with me. They all wonder why I didn't have to take final examinations, or why I was in the hospital wing that night. They all have questions - I know they do." She admitted, as she brushed her hand across her trunk. Leslie shrugged.

"Maybe they do, but perhaps they'll forget about it over the summer." She tried, not quite knowing what else to say.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Leslie, I'm not coming back for third year." Tenille confessed. Leslie's eyes widened as she stared hard at Tenille.

"How come?" She wanted to know. Tenille sighed.

"My mum and dad think it would be best if I transferred to a new school. To start fresh, and hopefully be safe. They don't think I'm safe at Hogwarts anymore. They don't want to wait for the same person who controlled me to come back and do it again. I'm starting a new school in the fall." She said, looking a tad regretful of this.

"Where are you going?" Leslie asked.

"Beaxbatons Academy in France." Tenille replied.

"France? But, can you even speak french?"

"Oui, I can." Tenille smiled a little. Leslie let out a small giggle.

"I guess there's a lot about you I didn't know. I'm sorry we won't be able to get to know each other better, now that you're going." She said regretfully, staring at the girl whom she had befriended.

"Yes, but we'll keep in touch. There's always owls. I'm sure there are french owls as well. Don't worry, I'll write in English." Tenille said. Leslie smiled.

"Alright. I'll keep in touch for sure. Take it easy Tenille. Good luck, and I don't care what happened this year, I'm glad I met you." She said as she flashed a smile. Tenille returned it.

"Thank you Leslie. I'm glad I met you too. Thank you for finding out the truth and saving me from whoever did this to me." She replied. Leslie felt herself growing hot with anger as she already knew who had done this to her, but she didn't want to tell Tenille; she wanted Tenille to be able to forget about it forever.

"Well, good luck at your new school, Tenille. Goodbye." Leslie said.

"Bye Leslie, thanks for everything." Tenille said. Leslie smiled once more before turning to leave. She didn't get very far, before she turned back and gave Tenille a hug.

"Right then, see you later." Leslie said, and walked back to her friends, who were starting to climb into one of the carriages. Leslie joined them immediately, sitting next to Harry in the carriage, across from Hermione and Ron. Leslie let out a sigh.

"It's strange how quicky this year went by, isn't it?" Leslie asked, staring at the castle, sad to be leaving.

"Yeah, but September will come sooner than we expect." Hermione replied.

"Besides, it won't be long before you're down at the Burrow with me, playing Quidditch and chasing gnomes." Ron said proudly.

"Yeah and Harry, if you don't show up, don't worry, I'll come rescue you again." Leslie felt Hermione staring at her. "That is, if Mr. and Mrs. Granger allow it." Harry smiled.

"Thanks Leslie, but I don't think you have to worry about that. Professor Dumbledore told me he sent a letter to the Dursleys, explaining that I was to return to Hogwarts, and also that I've been invited to the Weasleys and if they don't let me go, somebody will come to pick me up. Seeing as how terrified the Dursleys are of wizards, I don't think I'll have to worry too much about them." Harry explained. Leslie smiled.

"That's brilliant, Harry." She said. The carriages began to pull away from the castle, and as they did, Leslie smiled, happy to have her friends around her; happy they had all survived the year. She felt happy to be able to spend another summer with the Grangers, and she was happy her grandmother didn't seem to be angry anymore.

As they left the castle, Leslie reflected on her last two years at Hogwarts, and wondered to herself if their adventure had really ended, or rather if it was just beginning.

* * *

**The End!**

* * *

_Thanks for all your reviews and for being fans of my Leslie stories from the beginning. An outline is in the works for Leslie Perks, year 3. But I'm just having a few problems for a conflict. I want to incorporate Voldemort, but on a more "behind the scenes" level (kind of like Prisoner of Azkaban). I'm not sure if I'll incorporate Sirius or not, but if I do, it won't be the same as the movies._

_If anybody has any ideas for Leslie year 3, review and let me know._


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